How To Clean Your Gutters Like a Pro

Cleaning your gutters, a task that may be at the bottom of your list, is important to do twice a year. Keeping gutters clear of debris is crucial to ensuring your home’s rainwater draining system works effectively. While this may not seem like the most vital task, gutter maintenance is essential for protecting your home against water damage and preventing more serious issues from popping up, like foundation problems and mold growth. Here’s a complete guide on how to clean your gutters like a true professional.

Gutters can fill up from debris like leaves, dirt, and more as the weather changes. Everything from nearby trees to sharp winds and rainstorms—even small critters unfortunately—can clutter your gutters and reduce their draining capabilities.

When water isn’t quickly diverted away, it can make its way inside your home through the roof and cause the roof decking underneath to rot. If the excessive moisture finds its way into your attic, it can also lead to mold and mildew growth and cause foul odors.

When water pools around your home foundation, cracks can start to form and reduce the structural integrity of your house. Foundation cracks create all sorts of other issues on their own, from uneven floors to preventing doors from properly closing.

The best time to clean your gutters is in the spring and fall. Spring is an important time since that’s when the winter season ends. You’ll typically find debris, dirt, or other items that were left from leaf debris. If you live in an area where spring showers are expected, it can exacerbate the problem. In the fall or late fall depending on where you live, it’s important to clean your gutters as that’s when trees shed their leaves.

Safety should be your top priority when cleaning your gutters, considering you will need to get on a ladder most of the time. While it may be tempting to walk on the roof, it’s best not to do that unless you’re an experienced professional.

When on the ladder, always remain below the top three steps. No matter what type of ladder, ensure it’s sturdy and set on stable ground. Stay clear of any power lines near the area and call a professional if you don’t feel comfortable. Follow the three points of contact rule: Always have two feet and one hand on the ladder or two hands and one foot. It’s better to climb down and move the ladder than to overreach when trying to empty the gutters.

Avoid wearing loose clothing that can get hooked or stuck on something. You should use robust gloves to protect your hands from debris. Safety glasses can prevent debris from flying into your eyes if wind comes around. While not completely necessary, having a buddy watching over you in case of falls or for additional assistance is always a good idea.

1. Start at the bottom downspouts by removing any dirt and debris from the end by hand.
2. Set up your ladder and start to climb carefully. Once you’re in place, have your buddy hand a bucket to you.
3. Remove the trash and debris with one hand while keeping the other on the ladder to keep you stable and safe. Use a gutter scooper or small shovel to clean up smaller debris more efficiently and easily. You can also use a leaf blower to blow away any debris and reduce the amount of manual labor. The only downside is that if you don’t have a long attachment, you’ll need to carry it with you, and it’s not always practical when pushing away wet leaves. Rotary gutter cleaning tools are also a popular way of cleaning gutters without having to do it manually. They’re built long enough, so you can even do it from the ground. Like all things, there are possible downsides, like damaging your gutters if you’re not careful enough with the tool and wet leaves are hard to blow away effectively.
4. Once you remove all the debris, clean the gutters by washing them with water. Invest in a gutter nozzle cleaner to make things easier. A gutter nozzle cleaner is a specialized attachment that you can use with your garden hose. It’s often extendable, so you can have it wash your gutters while you’re standing from the ground, and it releases water at a high pressure to help clear blockages.
5. Wash the water from the opposite end of the downspout since that’s where any leftover debris should be draining towards. Be careful to only spray the gutters and avoid getting the shingles, as a strong stream of water can loosen them from the roof or cause roof leaks.
6. Check that any debris is correctly flushed out of the downspout and that there are no clogs. You don’t want to accidentally clog your downspouts while cleaning the gutters. If you notice clogs, attempt to water the downspout from the top and the bottom until it becomes unclogged. If it persists, unclog it just as you would for a sink using a plumber's snake.
7. After clearing clogs, flush the entire system with water again and confirm that things are working correctly. Add accessories like leaf strainers to help prevent leaf clogs.

Cleaning your gutters can only do so much, and if your gutters are in bad condition, it might make more sense to replace them fully. Once you’re on the ladder, inspect them for cracks or other damage. Cracks let water seep into the roof decking or fall onto the foundation.

Gutters can also start to sag over time when they aren’t cleaned consistently enough. As water and heavy debris weigh on the gutter, they can disconnect from the fascia boards, leading to sagging gutters. You will need to replace them and possibly the fascia board if it’s damaged.

If you find mold and mildew, this is typically the result of excessive moisture that has grown in the area. Signs of mold mean that your gutters aren’t properly draining the water, allowing moisture to build up. You can clean the mold off with a cleaning agent like bleach.

Rusting can happen on gutters due to prolonged exposure to water. If you live in a coastal area and add salt into the mix, it leads to even greater rates of rusting. If the rust hasn’t gotten too bad, use sandpaper to brush it off or use a primer to repaint the area.

Fix Slope Issues

If there is standing water anywhere along your gutter systems, it means your gutters are improperly slopped, preventing water from draining. A good rule of thumb to follow for slope is that they should slope 1/8 inch every five feet or 1/4 inch every 10 feet toward the downspout. One way to correct the slope is to disconnect the gutter hangers from the fascia board and then reconnect them at a slope where the gutter will drain properly. You can also add additional hangers if needed.

Apply Gutter Sealant

Finally, reseal the gutter joints with a waterproof gutter sealant. Use a caulk gun to apply the sealant and let it dry for at least a day. Since these joints are vulnerable spots that can deteriorate due to bad weather or simple aging, resealing these areas can prevent water leaks.

When planning your next home project, cleaning your gutters should be at the top of your list! Preventive gutter maintenance can save you from expensive repairs down the road. For materials and tools, McCoy’s has everything you need to get this project done. Shop in-store or online today.