Some Tips For Gutter And Downspout Cleaning

Writen by Allan Wilson

Downspout Cleaning:

Here Is How To Go About Downspout Cleaning

A downspout is that vertical pipe which carries water down from a roof gutter. Water trapped in gutters can cause serious damage to roofs and walls. Thus maintaining clean gutters and downspouts is very necessary and helps to keep one's home in good shape.

Some Steps in cleaning of downspouts –

1. Firstly gain access to the roof with the help of a ladder. See to it that you don't lean the ladder against the downspout or the gutter. It can easily bend or break them.

2. Then remove leaves and twigs from gutters and with a large spoon, a gutter scoop or a small garden trowel.

3. Also, wet down the caked-on dirt, which is sometimes difficult to remove without causing damage to the gutter or downspout. Remove it with a gutter scoop or trowel.

4. Regularly check whether the downspouts are clogged or not. You can use water to unclog your downspouts by placing the garden hose in the opening. But be very gentle, as downspouts are not designed for withstanding the same pressure as that of a house drain. If a plugged downspout cannot be cleared with a hose then make use of a small plumber's snake or even an unbent clothes hanger. Again, remember to be gentle.

6. Alternatively, use a leaf blower to clean the gutters; however, remember that you'll be high up, often in awkward postures, and carrying a good-sized machine that not only is awkward to use but also can blind you with dust.

7. Further, you can use the hose for flushing the gutters with water after cleaning. (At this time, you can also find out if there are any leaks in the gutter or in the downspout.)

Some Tips For Downspout Cleaning –

Firstly, one can use the hose of the pipe and spray it forcefully at an angle less than 40* in the gutter for forcefully pushing the twigs and leaves towards any corner where one can use a trowel or hands to take it out with. That is much more convenient! But before doing this, make sure that the gutter spouts are not clogged, as water needs to go down there otherwise it will fill up the gutter. Secondly, remember to be especially careful when using a hose or a plumber's snake for unclogging the down spouts. It is likely that the clog has caused the gutter to rust, making it more likely that you will punch a hole in the gutter.

Cleaning your gutters regularly can save you a ton of work and headaches later. For more tips visit: http://www.easyguttercleaning.com