The best way to clean the gutters this autumn
Gutters that are clogged with leaves and debris can cause lots of problems. By keeping them clear, you’re helping to protect your windows, doors, sides of the house and also the foundations from water damage. If you happen to have a basement, you’ll also be helping prevent flooding down there too.
Whilst you may want to use a professional to clean your gutters, doing the job yourself could save you a pretty penny. Research from Insulation Express found learning how to clean gutters yourself could make you a financial saving of £150 every time!
If your gutters are in need of a clean now autumn is in full-swing, just follow our guide to clear them...
Tell-tale signs
If you see any of the below in or around your gutters, it's time to give them a clean:
Water spilling over the sides of your gutters
Sagging gutters
Staining on exterior walls of house
Plant growth
Birds nesting in them
GHI Tip: Ideally, you should clean your gutters twice a year: in late Spring and again in Autumn.
Clear and clean
Firstly, you should only tackle your gutters if you’re confident in doing so and have a sturdy ladder. Otherwise, call in the professionals who will make quick and easy work of it and who are insured to do so. Use CheckaTrade or Trust a Trader — both of which have excellent ratings on Trustpilot — to find a professional near you.
Using a sturdy ladder and taking up an empty bucket, work your way around the gutters, scooping out as much of the debris as possible with either gloved hands or a narrow garden trowel.
Then, wash out the gutters with a hose, working from the end of the guttering towards the outlet, taking care as this can be a messy job. Use a stiff brush to remove any stubborn grime.
If water isn’t flowing freely through the drainpipes, there may be an obstruction. To clear, try directing the hose down the pipe to try to dislodge it. If this doesn’t work, insert a plumber’s auger to clear any obstructions.
Once the gutters are clean, it might be worth considering buying leaf guards for the drain outlets to prevent leaves going down and causing further blockages. Alternatively, gutter hedgehogs can be used to prevent blockages caused by leaves.
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