Tuesday, June 20, 2017

How Gutter Cleaning Saves You Money

Hiring a company that specializes in home maintenance projects such as gutter cleaning services can actually end up saving you money in the long run. Not many people take the time to think about how spending a little money now on gutter cleaning services can end up saving you a lot of time, money, and headaches down the road. The gutters on your home serve a purpose, and that purpose is to guide rainwater away from your home to prevent water damage.

Read – How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost?

When your gutters are full of debris and blocked they can’t do their job, which means that water will end up getting into places that it really shouldn’t be getting into. This of course will lead to additional problems, which will mean a higher repair bill later on. Unless you want to find yourself in this unenviable position then you will take the smart approach and be proactive.

The following are 5 ways that gutter cleaning services saves you money.

1. Clean Gutters Prevent Mold And Mildew Problems
When the gutters in your home are working right they keep water from saturating places in your home that are going to be prone to mold and mildew growth. On the other hand when they are blocked that water that would normally harmlessly flow away from your home will suddenly find an avenue that allows it to enter your home. Moisture ends up in mold and mildew, which is definitely not something you want to be dealing with. Once you realize that you have a mold and mildew problem it’s already too late.

You probably have a much bigger problem than you realize, which means you are going to be spending a lot of money on a mold remediation company. On top of that you will probably have to stay in a hotel for a few days while the cleanup is done since mold is toxic. The bottom line is that spending a little money on gutter cleaning services today can prevent these bigger expenses from happening at a later date.
2. Clean Gutters Will Protect Your Landscaping
When you have water pouring over your lawn indiscriminately it can cause a lot of damage to your landscaping. Not all plants need a huge amount of water and water pouring off of your roof onto these plants can damage or kill them. Then of course there is the problem of soil and dirt erosion that large quantities of flowing water will cause, which means you will have to have parts of your lawn built back up. This can all get quite expensive which is why it’s much smarter to be proactive and spend a little money today getting your gutters cleaned.
3. Clean Gutters Protect Your Home’s Exterior
Modern homes are built to be able to withstand the elements, as long as their exposure is within reason. The gutters on your home are designed to funnel water away from the exterior walls of your home which limits their exposure. What you have to realize is that even though your home was designed to be able to handle exposure to the rain, having it constantly bombarded with water will eventually cause things to wear down.

This can end up in having the paint or other exterior materials slowly become damaged, which can then lead to water getting into your home. All of this adds up to a good sized bill which is another reason you shouldn’t put off having your gutters cleaned out.
4. Clean Gutters Help Prevent Basement Flooding
Anybody that has ever come home and found that their basement has been flooded will probably be happy to tell you that it was a pretty awful experience. Forget about cleaning it yourself, you are going to have to hire a professional company to take care of it for you. They are going to have to remove the water then they are going to have to repair or replace any materials that have been soaked with water.

If this process isn’t done thoroughly then it’s virtually guaranteed that you are going to have a mold problem in the future. So if you don’t keep your gutters clean, and this in turn floods your basement, you are going to be given a hefty bill for your lack of being proactive. So do yourself a favor and don’t let this happen to you, call a gutter cleaning services company today.
5. Clean Gutters Will Protect Your Foundation From Damage
This is the big one. If you have ever heard about foundation damage from anyone you know they will probably tell you that it was unbelievably expensive. Your home sits on a foundation of concrete, if that foundation is damaged or becomes unstable somehow then the structural integrity of your entire home could be jeopardized. Fixing this problem is going to be a major project and you could easily end up spending tens of thousands of dollars getting it taken care of.

What causes foundation problems in many cases is excess water that has been allowed to saturate the ground around your home. When this happens your home’s foundation could shift or buckle, which is very bad news for you. Not only will you have to pay a lot of money to fix the problem, you also won’t be able to get away from it by selling your home. Any competent home inspector will find a damaged foundation and warn their clients to keep them from buying what could easily turn into a money pit.

When You Think About It Gutter Cleaning Could Really End Up Saving You A Lot Of Money

While the idea that paying money to a gutter cleaning services company can save you money may have seemed strange, hopefully now you see that there really is a lot of truth to this. Gutter cleaning services are not that expensive, they are even less of a financial burden when you think about how much money they could end up saving you. So unless you want to end up with a big repair or restoration bill later on, take the time to hire a company that offers gutter cleaning services today.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

What are the Best Gutter Cleaning Tools?

A lot of tools have been made to help you clean your gutters more effectively. Gutter cleaning tools range from manual tools that can be used from a ladder to robotic tools that clean your gutters for you. For this list, we’re going to talk about manual tools for cleaning gutters, and we’re not going into detail about any of the fancier options out there.

What Gets Stuck in the Gutters?

To understand what kind of tools you’ll need for the job, you first need to know what you’ll be cleaning out of your gutters. On the bottom of your gutters, you’ll most likely find a small layer of silt. This is made up of small dirt particles, fine dust particles, and sandy particles. The silt layer collects underneath everything else and creates a thin layering on the bottom of the gutters, building up over time.

On top of the silt, you can find a lot of organic materials from plants around your area. If you have trees around, it’s very likely you’ll discover leaves or pine needles inside the gutters. Seeds from various plants may accumulate inside the gutters and start to sprout in the silt if they’re left long enough. Twigs and small sticks get caught up in the leaves as well. Organic materials cause most of the clogs in gutters.

Beyond the normal organic materials, you may find inorganic materials like tennis balls or toys. This is more likely if you have kids in your household or around the neighborhood. Otherwise, you can also find bug nests, animals nests, and roofing materials from a failing roof.

How Do You Clean Out Dirt and Debris?

To get rid of each of the types of dirt and debris caught in your gutters, you’ll need different types of gutter cleaning tools. For the silt layer, you’ll want something that can scoop it up and breaks up the dirt layers, so that the rest can be easily washed down. For other, larger materials, a claw-type tool is useful for working out large piles of debris.

What Are the Best Gutter Cleaning Tools?

Some of the best tools to use are handheld cultivators, trowels, pressure washers, vacuum tools (like leaf vacuums or leaf blowers), and manual weed removal tools. A mixture of a few different types of tools will help you make sure you get everything out of your gutter, and you end up with a clean system at the end of the day. Garden hoses are generally useful at the end of cleaning, to make sure you get all the little leftover pieces washed out.

Do You Need Separate Tools for Downspouts?

If the downspouts are dirty, you may be able to flush the debris out with a pressure washer or garden hose. But, if there’s a clog you’ll probably have to take the gutters apart at the top and push the clog through to the bottom, or to the next seam that you may also take apart for convenience. If you don’t know how to do this safely and without damaging the gutters, you may want to call in professional help.

Gutter cleaning tools are nothing special, and most people already have these types of things sitting around their sheds or garages for other uses around the house. Grab your trusted cultivator or pressure washer and head up the ladder to get the gutters cleaned this season. If you would rather enjoy your weekend and let the pro’s handle your gutter cleaning for you, then get a quote for gutter cleaning here and go grab another beer.