Simple Steps for Cleaning and Repairing Your Home's Rain Gutters
September 27, 2018
We all know that cleaning your home's rain gutters frequently will keep them in good shape, providing you a good performance for many years which is essential to prevent water damages in the most important parts of your property: roof, walls, and foundations. Leaves and other debris like twigs and toys can clog both the gutter and downspouts, causing the progressive deterioration of your fascia and roof. Having a rain gutter system perfectly working is a must to keep your property free from dampness, flooding, leaks, and clogs which attempt against the structural stability of your house, risking your family safety.
Cleaning rain gutters and performing
rain gutter repair service may look like an easy task, this is why many people try to do it by themselves as DIY video tutorials are very popular nowadays. However, rain gutter maintenance is something that you shouldn't take lightly; there are many hazards that you may be exposed to if you decide to do it by yourself instead of hiring a rain gutter company.
We've come up with simple steps for thoroughly cleaning your home's rain gutters and making minor rain gutter repairs. However, we advise you to get professional help to avoid inconveniences and obtain the best possible results.
Cleaning Your Home's Rain Gutters
- Step 1: Before you start, try to have at hand all the tools and safety protection that you will need and start cleaning the rain gutter close to a downspout.
- Step 2: Remove the large debris such as twigs and leaves with a trowel before dumping it in a bucket. This kind of debris is the responsible for most of the clogs in rain gutters and downspouts. Technicians usually use powerful air blowers to clear the whole roof to get the job started.
- Step 3: Flush the gutter lengths with a hose starting at the end opposite the downspout in order to clean out finer materials. Re-check the downspout strainer and clean as necessary if the water doesn't drain. The downspout may be clogged if gutter water still doesn't drain. If this happens, you must check the end of the drain. Remove the downspout if it runs underground. Next, you must install a nozzle on the hose. Make sure you lock it at full pressure. Last but not least, turn on the water before feeding the hose up starting from the bottom of the spout. The downspout should be cleared with this method.
Rain Gutter Repair
Follow these simple steps to perform minor rain gutter repairs:
Step 1: If there's still standing water after you flushed the rain gutter, it may not be sloped properly and will require adjustment. The length of the system must be declined by at least ¼ inch every 10 feet pointing to the downspout. Detach the hangers and adjust the rain gutter to drain properly before re-attaching if the rain gutter doesn't slope enough. Keep in mind that you must work on small sections at a time to prevent the entire rain gutter system from collapsing.
Step 2: Inspect the downspouts and rain gutter sections for missing parts and obvious damage. Make sure to space out support hangers every 2 feet along the rain gutter. If you notice that a downspout is blocked, it's better to leave it in professional hands because it will be necessaire to disassemble the elbow to unclog the blockage.
Step 3: To repair leaks at the seams, make sure the rain gutter lengths are really tight against each other and use rain gutter sealant on the two sides of all joints. Add sealant along the inside of the joint to repair leaks at the end caps. To repair holes in the gutter material, you must purchase products designed to repair either fiberglass rain gutters or aluminum ones.
Step 4: Lastly, apply rain gutter touch-up paint as desired to cover any blemishes. Repaint some or all of the rain gutters if necessary.
Safety First
Attempting to repair or clean your rain gutters is extremely dangerous for you as it involves activities like going up and down the ladder holding long sections of gutters, the handling hammers or drills, plus the coordination that is required. Every year there is a high number of Americans who get hurt in accidents related to DIY rain gutter installations or repairs. Those are tasks that should be done by trained personnel that provides you confidence and the warranty of a flawless result.
On the other hand, thanks to our experience in the rain gutter field we know that any mistake when installing or repairing rain gutters can be catastrophic for the whole structure. Therefore, you should be aware of certain important aspects such as choosing the right gutter type for your property as well as the most convenient material, accessories needed, among others.
Finally, always keep in mind that what's cheap turns out to be expensive so don't fall into the error of doing a rain gutter installation or repair by yourself just to save some money because now you know all the consequences that it could bring to your home.
We hope this information comes in handy. If you consider that you need help with a rain gutter repair or cleaning, it's always best to call the experts at Rain Gutters Solution. For any questions or inquiries, you can always contact us at (305) 270-7779 or filling out our contact form below on this page. We provide unparalleled repairing, unclogging, and cleaning services to make your rain gutters last longer. With over twenty years of experience in South Florida's custom rain gutter business, we are sure to meet all your rain gutter needs.
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