When something is out of sight and out of mind, you often don’t spare a thought for it. For example, every time you flip your couch cushions, it’s not uncommon to find crumbs, wrappers, and even coins, that may have sat there for months.

The same concept applies to your guttering or spouting. If you can’t see it, you don’t think about it. Unlike couch cushions, however, not checking your gutters can end up costing you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. If you can’t recall the last time you checked it out, then it’s probably long overdue.

Read on to discover why gutter maintenance and spouting cleaning is imperative, how to do it, and what you need for the job.

Why Gutter Cleaning is Important

Gutters or spouts serve an essential purpose. They control the rainwater flow, protect your landscape, and ensure that water stays as far away from your roof, walls, and foundations as possible. When they are clean and functioning at their best, they do this job well. When they’re not, they are a costly nightmare with a flow-on effect that leaves you with an empty bank account.

Gutters can quickly and easily fill up with debris, sticks, leaves, and other foreign matter and muck. They then become a haven for birds, rodents, pests, and insects. Before you know it, water is trying to flow through, only to get stuck and begin to flood over the edges of the guttering instead.

That water has to go somewhere, and it’s not down your drainpipe. It flows onto your roof, down the sides of your home – and everywhere but through your guttering. Stagnant water then promotes algae and mold growth, which is a whole new issue altogether.

New Zealand is known for its reasonably mild climes, but some regions are more prone to rainfall than others. During the wet season (which, depending on your area, can be all year!), it’s imperative that your gutters are obstruction-free, clean, and ready to tackle rainfall head-on.

How to Maintain Your Gutters

As we established, ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is one of the main reasons why homeowners fail to maintain their gutters. A lack of understanding of how to do it is another. Cleaning out your spouting is easier than you think, so set aside a sunny day to get the job done.

Remove leaves and debris and throw it into a bucket or the ground so that you can clean it up once you’ve scaled your entire home. Secure any loose gutters into place with a cordless drill. The best hardware for this job is gutter screws.

If you notice any leaks along the seams and joins, then clean the gutter section and apply silicone caulk. Finally, make sure that any water flowing down your guttering is diverted away from your home. You should have a downspout extension or irrigation pipe to take care of the job.  

Around one in 15 people are scared of heights, which can mean even a simple job like gutter maintenance can be terrifying. If that sounds like you, then you should call in gutter cleaning professionals to lend a helping hand.

If you haven’t cleaned your gutters or spouting for some time, then you’ll likely find the first time you do it is a monumental undertaking. Regular maintenance from that point onward won’t be so bad. However, if you would prefer to spend more time on the ground and less on a ladder, then why not invest in some gutter cleaning tools that make it easier?

The first thing you can buy to make life easier is a gutter blaster. These tools extend out to around 1.7 to 2 metres and fit onto any standard hose fitting. You can adjust the water pressure, rotate the nozzle, and clean out the debris from your gutter without seeing it from a great height.

Alternatively, you can purchase shields which stop leaves, debris, and other grime from setting up camp in your gutters in the first place. These vary in price and style, depending on what you require. Some are a mesh that goes over the top, while others are thick tubes which allow water in, but nothing else.

Decide what’s more relevant to you – clean gutters all the time with a small investment, or not spending any money, but dedicating an hour or so every few months to removing potential blockages.

Conclusion

Gutter cleaning or spouting cleaning is an essential task that protects your property and can save you thousands of dollars. Dedicate time every few months to gutter maintenance to ensure your gutters and home remain in tip-top condition. Alternatively, you can ask your trusted Crewcut operator if they can recommend someone who can take care of gutter cleaning for you.