It is that time of year again, and here in Massachusetts we have been blessed with a very warm November. We had the perfect combination of weather lately to get the last lingering leaves off the trees, big wind followed by big rain. Whatever leaves remain on the trees today have made the commitment to stay there for the winter! The rest are blanketing lawns, driveways and of course, clogging up your gutters and downspouts. Cleaning gutters is a pain in the *&^*% job, but it MUST be done, and it MUST be done at least twice a year. I actually clean my gutters three or four times a year. It is as simple as this, if the gutters are clogged with debris the water cannot flow through them. If the water cannot flow through them, it will flow over them. And that is bad! Remember, the purpose of a gutter on your roof line is to move large quantities of water AWAY from your house.
I know there are lots of fancy gadgets available to help you with the project, but I haven’t tried any of them. If you have, and have had success please share your experience! I just get out my trusty ladder, put on some rubber glovesa and get to it. I usually start at the end of the gutter farthest from the down spout and work my way towards the down spout scooping out the leaves, seeds and any other debris that has found its way into the gutter. This year I found several pine cones! Some people suggest carrying a bucket up the ladder and dumping the debris in to that, I prefer dumping the debris on the ground and then raking it up. The fewer things I have to deal with on the ladder the better! At least once a year, I try and use my hose with a nozzle attached to rinse the gutters out after I have removed the larger debris. This rinsing helps wash away the little pieces of roofing tiles that come off over time and sit at the bottom of the gutter.
Once your gutter is cleaned out, check it for leaks. You can seal up any leaky joints with a good waterproof sealant and a caulking gun. The final test is to walk around your house during a good rainstorm to see if your gutters are doing their job properly. If you have done a good job cleaning out the gutter, there should be no problems anywhere. And remember, gutters are not container gardens. You should not have plants growing in your gutters!
