gutter Archives - WNY Handyman

Five Checks Before Winter Weather Strikes

If you listen closely enough you can already hear people moaning about the bad weather. It’s going to get worse before it gets better which is horrible. You need to wrap yourself up in more layers of clothing than you can possibly imagine otherwise you might freeze to death. Even all those crazy people who say they enjoy the freezing cold winter don’t have it so easy. They can still slip on the ice and crack their head open the same as any of us. Winter is dangerous and we need to be prepared for the worst.

This is why it’s so important that your home is prepared for the cold nights that lie ahead. If you think there’s nothing left to do because it’s already cold then I’d hate to see what you’re going to be like when your roof collapses. Each year we should all take our time and sort out important things that will protect our home during winter, because if it doesn’t make it safer for us it definitely makes it safer for our bank accounts. Make sure you have these things sorted and you won’t go far wrong.

Unblock all your drains

The first thing you want to do is go around the outside of your home making sure all the drains don’t have any rubbish inside that’s clogging them up. This needs to be done now because when the snow falls it’s much harder to get access to them. Take your hose and run lots of water down each one. If everything goes according to plan the water should get away easily. You don’t want them to be blocked during the coldest time of the year.

Clean your garden

I presume you will still need to walk around in your garden once the snow falls. You might need to hang clothes out to dry if there is no rain, plus the kids might want to build a snowman. If there is anything hiding under the snow it could cause someone to have an accident. Just make sure your garden is clear at all times during the winter, so someone doesn’t fall and bang their head.

Inspect your roof

I hope you have good vision, or at least a pair of binoculars because you should be checking all over your roof before the weather gets any worse. All you need is a little crack in a tile and water could get in. It’s even worse if you have any missing because your home could fill up like a swimming pool. If you can’t check from the outside then try to climb up the attic and give the place a good check from the inside.

Seal your home

There’s a good chance your heating will be on a lot more during winter unless you prefer to sit in the freezing cold every day. That means a lot more heat will be escaping from your home if you don’t find a way to stop it. This could be keeping all windows closed, sealing any cracks around your home, or even blocking off the fire if you no longer use it. When all that heat escapes you are just wasting money and I know you don’t want to pay to heat the entire world.

Stop gutters from falling

When it gets very cold and there is a huge amount of water it will turn into a block of solid ice. This is pretty dangerous on the ground, but imagine if it was to happen above you and land on your head. That could happen when you don’t clean your gutters after the leaves fall from the trees. All the water won’t be able to drain away and suddenly you have this huge block of ice sitting in the gutters. It’s like a disaster waiting to happen.

How to Clean Your Gutters

With leaves turning and falling to the ground, and into your gutters, knowing the very simple basics of how to clean out your gutters will help you remain safe and your gutters/roof to last longer.

Dirty guttering will quickly send water running down the walls of your home, leaking through windows, doors and damaging walls causing mold and mildew to grow in and around your home. To prevent this problem, you will need to clean your guttering as regularly as possible to make sure that the water flow is a clean and smooth. Today we are going to go through how to clean your guttering.

Bucket, ladder, cloth, spade and hose

The first thing you will need when you are cleaning your guttering is the right equipment. A sturdy ladder with hooks for your bucket, a spade a cloth and preferably some plastic gloves will help you get the job done better. You will also need access to a hose, so practice safety and make sure the hose does not pose a threat to your stability or safety on your ladder whilst you clean.

Clearing out the debris

The best time to clean guttering is on a dry day when there is no rain forecast, as whatever debris has collected in your guttering will be easier to remove. Most often, leaves, bits of dirt and other grime will get into your guttering, blocking the water flow and causing a build up of muck. The best way to do tackle this is to remove any leaves and branches by hand into your bucket, and then use the spade to remove any other dirt build up that is in your guttering. Again, your bucket will come in handy for this and using a spade instead of your hands will keep you clean and tidy.

If your gutters have very little material (leaves and debris) in them, you might be able to get away without heading up to your roof to manually clear out the debris. There are hose attachment products that you can use to clean your gutters from the ground, or from a short ladder on the ground. Take a look at the following telescoping power jet wand at Amazon:

Flush

Once you have cleared your guttering of debris, you will need to flush your gutters with water to make sure the waterways have fully cleared and get rid of any smaller bits of dirt that may have remained behind after removing the bulkier grime. Flushing will also highlight any faults in your guttering in the form of broken or leaky guttering, blockages or faults. If you are finding that the guttering does not clear then you may have an issue with the drains.

Flush flowpipe

Your guttering will be fixed onto your home at an angle, flowing water downwaters (like a waterslide) towards the flowpipe. This flowpipe is removable, and so if you are finding that when flushing the gutters the water is not moving as fast as it should, the next thing to do is flush the flowpipe. The best way to do this is to remove the flowpipe and flush it with a strong jet of water until the water is flowing freely through it: getting rid of any debris that may be stuck inside. Do this over a bucket to make sure you capture any dirt that needs to be binned. Reattach the flowpipe, and reflsuh the guttering.

Clear drains

The next key to a good, clear and clean guttering system is clear drains. Any water that runs down from your guttering will go through the flowpipe and into the drain, and so any blockage at any part of this system will cause a build up of grime. Clear the drains to complete your guttering cleaning.