Cleaning the gutter is important for smart home maintenance. Clogged gutters hinder rainwater from flowing through the downspout system properly and this can lead to pooled water around the house which can cause damage to the house’s foundation. What this translates to is a costly home repair.
Keep your home in tip-top shape by seeing to it that the gutter is regularly cleaned. You’ll need these different types of gutter cleaning tools to make your job easier of removing grit and grime from your gutter.
Problem is, people are hesitant to clean their gutters because not only does it require a special gutter clearing tool, but also means climbing up a ladder; which is obviously something of a safety concern. However, if you follow proper cleaning procedures and use a specially designed gutter cleaner, the task of gutter maintenance can be a breeze. Remember – a clean gutter makes for a well-maintained home.
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Types of Gutter Cleaning Tools
When it comes to actually scooping out debris and dirt from your gutters, you will find a number of different cleaning tools on the market. These can range from different types of gutter cleaning tools, which have been specifically designed to clear out gutters, or they can be other tools that can double up as a gutter cleaner. It is up to you which type of gutter tool you think best suits your needs.
Gutter Claw
The gutter claw is an interesting tool that allows you to grab the debris out of your gutter easily. This tool isn’t actually used specifically for guttering, as it is simply something that is meant to extend a person’s reach. People use these extra-long claw arms to help them pick things up at a distance. For example – handicapped individuals use these to help them grab things that are far away when they have trouble getting up.
Telescopic Gutter Cleaner
You can also find telescoping gutter cleaning tools that allow you to reach your gutters from the safety of the ground. Generally, these consist of a telescoping wand with a gutter cleaner attachment on the end, in order to make this type of tool specific to gutter clearing. The cleaning attachment might be a scoop or rake, or you might opt for a dedicated gutter cleaning wand – which uses high-pressure water from your garden hose to blast away the debris,
Telescopic gutter cleaners can be fashioned from other items too – if you have a window cleaning pole then you may be able to attach a gutter brush to the end and create your own DIY gutter cleaning wand.
This means that you can make quick work of a clogged gutter without even touching any of the gutter debris with your hands.
Gutter Grabber or Scoop
Sometimes known as a gutter getter or gutter getter scoop – a gutter grabber can refer to any attachment that you put onto a telescopic pole, in order to grab or scoop out gutter debris. Or, it can sometimes be in the form of a handheld gutter cleaning tool, depending on the brand.
Some people are torn on whether or not these gutter cleaning scoops are worth the small investment. After all, you could simply use your hands to do the work that the gutter scoop is doing. In fact, some people are more comfortable using their hands to do this job as they have an easier time telling where the debris is located. Others find these scoops to be very convenient because they allow them to be able to reach further than they would be able to with their hands.
Consider your feelings on the issue before making a purchasing decision. Gutter cleaning scoops don’t cost much money at all so you won’t have to break the bank to get one of these. It can be useful to you but it just depends on whether you would rather use your hands. Whatever your feelings on this tool are, gutter scoops have proven to be popular guttering tools that are used by many people.
Gutter Vacuum
A serious bit of kit – a gutter vacuum is exactly what it sounds like. It is essentially a vacuum cleaner used to suck out the debris from your gutters and is often used by professional gutter cleaning services. This goes beyond simply applying a gutter vacuum attachment to any dedicated equipment you may have – but rather it is a specific vacuum cleaner designed especially for gutter clearing.
Gutter Cleaning Brush
As well as scoops, grabbers, and water wands, you can purchase brushes that are meant for cleaning your gutters. These brushes feature long poles with a brush attached to the end; simply run the brush through your gutters to clean out debris and dislodge stubborn leaves that are stuck to the sides of your gutters. It is a very convenient tool that many people turn to when they are in need.
These brushes are generally rigid enough for you to force them through stubborn debris. This type of brush isn’t quite long enough for you to be able to use it without climbing your ladder, so if you’re concerned about heights, then it might be an idea to look into alternative types of gutter cleaning tools.
Gutter Wire Brush
Making use of a gutter wire brush is an excellent preventative measure that you can take. You will be able to stop a lot of the clogging problems that occur in your gutters by installing one of these brushes. You simply need to get on your ladder and place one of these gutter brushes in the gutter itself. It will prevent debris such as leaves from getting into the gutter.
You might think that having the brush there is going to clog up the gutters as well. This actually isn’t the case because water is able to flow around the wire brush. This makes this tool a very useful ally to you in your fight to keep your gutters clean and clear. You won’t have any trouble installing these gutter cleaning brushes so it is a worthwhile method to consider.
The problem with the gutter wire brush method is that it isn’t going to work perfectly. It can prevent a significant amount of debris but there is no way for it to prevent debris from forming in the gutters completely. You will still need to clean your gutters from time to time. Using this method will make it easier to use running water to clean your gutters so keep it in mind as an option that can be convenient for you.
Gutter Helmet
A gutter helmet is a specific tool for helping to keep your gutters free and unclogged. In this sense, it is more of a protective tool, rather than a cleaning tool, just like a gutter wire brush. A gutter helmet is sometimes also known as a leaf guard, and goes over the downpipe of the gutter, to prevent leaves from entering the drainpipe and causing clogs. A clogged drain pipe can be a nuisance, requiring a gutter flusher of some sort – forcing water down the pipe to remove the blockage – but a gutter helmet should go some way toward ensuring this does not happen.
Gutter Guard
Just like a gutter helmet, a gutter guard is a tool for helping to prevent the build-up of debris in your gutters – rather than actually being used to scoop out any clogs. You place a gutter guard inside the rain gutter, to prevent leaves and other debris from building up inside. This should ensure rainwater enters the gutters, but debris does not. These types of gutter covers are great when used in combination with other cleaning tools.
Other Tools for Cleaning Your Gutters
While there are indeed dedicated tools for actually cleaning your gutters – there are also extra tools and pieces of equipment you may need in order to get the job done. Keeping your gutter system well maintained and free from blockages requires more than a gutter cleaning kit, gutter vacuum or a power washer to get the job done.
Ladder
A good ladder is an absolute necessity when you are performing guttering work. You are going to need to climb a ladder in most situations where you are cleaning out a gutter. Even houses that aren’t very tall are going to be too high for you to reach the gutters by conventional means. There are some telescoping wands that will allow you to do some guttering work without climbing a ladder but in most situations, you are going to have to get up there to clean things out properly.
It is highly recommended to buy a durable and sturdy ladder. You want to be able to feel as comfortable as possible while you are doing the guttering work. This is going to be a process that takes some time and you will need to balance up there for a while. You are also going to need to reposition the ladder at certain points so going up and down the ladder, multiple times will be necessary.
When you have a really good ladder to rely on, it isn’t going to seem nearly as scary as it could otherwise be. Of course, some people aren’t afraid of ladders in the slightest. Even if you are a very daring individual, it is going to pay to have a nice ladder. You can purchase a quality ladder that is made out of steel or aluminum at a fair price so you will want to look into the best options.
It’s also a good idea to determine how tall your house is before you set out to buy a ladder. It may feel more comfortable for you to buy a ladder that is a fair bit taller than your gutters . This will allow you not have to climb to the very top of the ladder. Only having to climb to the middle of a ladder feels more natural and it is easier to balance everything this way.
Ladder Stabilizer
Climbing a ladder definitely isn’t something that everyone is completely comfortable with. If you fall into the camp of people who are afraid of heights, then you probably don’t look forward to having to clean your gutters. Depending on your feelings, you might wind up putting it off because the act of climbing a ladder makes you feel unsafe. There is a way that you can help to make your ladder climbing experience much safer, though.
Purchasing a ladder stabilizer is going to be very helpful to you while you are guttering. It may not be possible to have someone there with you at all times to hold your ladder. If you live alone or if you simply don’t have someone who is willing to help you with guttering, then it makes sense to buy a ladder stabilizer. This handy tool is going to keep your ladder as sturdy as it can possibly be.
This is going to make you feel more confident while you are up on the ladder. You will be able to enjoy a ladder that doesn’t wobble and this will make you feel much more at ease. The big reason why people fear climbing ladders is that they don’t want to fall and get injured. You will be able to balance on the ladder a lot more easily when you have a good ladder stabilizer to back you up.
Using the stabilizer is quite simple. It will just attach to the top of the ladder and can then be affixed to the roof itself. This will let you go up and down the ladder without having to worry about it feeling shaky. You can get your guttering tasks dealt with far more quickly this way and you won’t feel nearly as intimidated by the ladder.
Garden Hose
There are many people who use their garden hose to try to clear out their gutters. This is a pretty good solution that you will want to make use of if you don’t have access to a pressure washer. The amount of water pressure that a garden hose can put out is far less than that of a pressure washer but it can still be effective at dislodging debris. You will want to make sure that water can flow through the gutters as it is supposed to so using a garden hose on your gutters at some point in the cleaning process is highly recommended.
You don’t need a special garden hose to do this job. The same garden hose that you use to water your lawn and garden areas will work perfectly fine to do this. Simply taking it up the ladder and using it to blow away debris will work pretty well in many situations. Results may vary depending on how clogged your gutters are, of course.
Even if you intend to do all of your guttering by hand, you will want to use some water to get rid of some of the finer debris. Using your garden hose in tandem with other guttering methods is a great idea. This is going to ensure that water is capable of flowing properly through the gutters and you can keep them as clean as you possibly can. Handling your garden hose while balancing on your ladder shouldn’t be too difficult as long as you are comfortable on ladders.
Protective Gloves
One thing that you will want to make sure that you have while cleaning your gutters is protective gloves. You may not be able to completely avoid getting your hands dirty while cleaning your gutters if you don’t have access to a good pair of gloves. There are going to be situations where you will need to climb your ladder and remove debris from the gutters by hand. This may not be the most desirable situation but it is going to be the most efficient way to remove certain types of debris.
Having a good pair of gloves to rely on is going to make this process seem to be not too big of a deal. Most people don’t want to use their bare hands to clean out their gutters because this is going to feel pretty nasty. It’s also a good idea to use gloves because you don’t know what exactly is in the gutters that you are cleaning. There could be things that could harm your hands if you don’t have the right protection so it just makes sense to wear gloves.
Luckily, getting a good pair of protective gloves isn’t going to be difficult at all. Some people use the same type of gloves for guttering that they do for gardening.
Pressure Washer
Somewhat different from a hosepipe, a pressure washer can be used to clean the gutters with a special nozzle – as with the case of the telescopic gutter cleaner. The difference is that a pressure washer uses high-pressure water, whereas the telescopic gutter cleaner is an extension pole or attachment for a garden hose. The pressure washer is its own dedicated piece of kit.
It is possible to use your pressure washer as is to clean your gutters out in certain circumstances. Depending on the style of pressure washer that you have, you might be able to reach your gutters while standing on top of a ladder. This isn’t always going to be the case, though. Some gutters will be too high for pressure washers that have shorter hoses and this makes cleaning gutters impractical.
You don’t need to give up and buy a new pressure washer as you can simply purchase a gutter cleaning attachment for your existing pressure washer. This is a really convenient way to be able to clean out your gutters. The gutter cleaning attachments are very affordable and you will be able to make use of them quite easily. This will help you to get your gutters unclogged and everything should go well.
Leaf Blower
Making cleaning your gutters as simple as possible is likely going to be your goal . Cleaning out gutters isn’t a fun experience by any stretch of the imagination but it definitely needs to be done. In order to streamline the entire process, it is possible to use a blower to clean out your gutter very quickly. This may not work well if your gutters are very packed with debris but it can be an effective method in many situations.
Using a blower may require you to buy some special attachments so that it can work properly in your gutters. This isn’t the case with the model being shown off here. This particular blower is capable of cleaning out your gutters and removing the debris very effectively. It is powerful enough to blow out wet leaves from your gutters and you will be able to use this quite easily.
Some people will not like having to balance on a ladder while using a tool such as this. It can feel a bit cumbersome depending on how much upper body strength you possess. Luckily, the blower isn’t all that heavy. It has a lightweight design that shouldn’t feel too tough on your arms while you’re cleaning out the gutters.
It might be a good idea to have someone there to watch over you while you are balancing on the ladder with your blower. Safety is very important and taking precautions is better than being hurt due to being too eager. Whenever you are working on top of a ladder, it is smart to have someone around to assist you when you need help. This just makes things easier and it gives you more peace of mind.
