What You Need to Know Before Cleaning Your Roof and Gutters This Spring

Although you might overlook your roof and gutters most of the year, spring is a perfect occasion to concentrate on these areas. After autumn and winter, both areas might be covered in tree debris. Gutters, in particular, can clog with just a few inches of twigs and leaves. Before you venture up to the rooftop, take a look at what you should consider before cleaning those areas this spring.

Wear the Proper Shoes

Always choose a sturdy pair of shoes to access your roof and gutters. Pick shoes that have ample tread on the soles and sturdy ankle areas. Your shoe choice directly influences your safety on the ladder and roof. If you don’t have the right footwear, you can purchase industrial shoes and save them for this particular chore. In subsequent years, you’ll have shoes ready for the job as spring arrives.

Stabilize Your Ladder

You might have a strong, extendable ladder, but consider some additional accessories for it. Add ladder hooks or stabilizers to the top section. These accessories grab onto the structure in order to reduce ladder movements. Ideally, ask a loved one to hold the ladder’s base as you move up and down its length. Safety should always be your number-one concern.

Tread Carefully

As you walk on the rooftop, watch your step with every weight shift. Every roof has a different slope to its design. There might be tripping hazards as well, such as lifted flashing. Keep your legs spread apart to maintain the best balance on the angled surface as you sweep debris off of the shingles. Avoid any sudden movements or heavy footfalls. You don’t want to damage the shingles with your movements.

Scoop, Dump and Wash the Gutters

When you focus on the gutters, use a gutter scoop to remove all of the debris within the channels. Drop this debris down to the ground. Preferably, lay a tarp or other material on the ground that can capture this debris for discarding purposes. When you’ve scooped as much debris as possible without damaging the gutters, lay a garden hose in the channel and turn on the water. Any residual debris will flow down the gutters and into the drains.

Add Gutter Covers

With all of the debris flushed from the gutters, consider an optional accessory. Gutter covers come in various styles, but the most common is a basic-mesh design. You can add these covers to your gutters, and no debris can filter into the channels anymore. Only rainfall can slide between the mesh connections. Springtime is the best time for this installation choice.

Consider a Professional

You may want to consider a professional’s help with the roof and gutters in some cases. The roof might have a steep angle, or you don’t feel comfortable with heights. Listen to your gut instinct when it comes to DIY projects. Professionals can quickly service your home, and you’ll have less stress as a result.

Any professional who you hire should be licensed, bonded and insured. If any accidents occur up on the rooftop, those workers will be covered by their own policies. Selecting a company without proper coverage leaves you vulnerable to possible damages, including medical bills. Be selective about the professionals that you work with, and you can have a clean rooftop and gutters in no time.

1 reply
  1. Denton Roofer says:

    For gutters its always better to install gutter guards as they effectively prevent leaves and other debris from getting deposited in the gutter but for cleaning the roof, I would suggest that home owners must never take the risk of doing it themselves unless they are equipped with the required safety gear because many roofers have lost their lives through a fall during the job, so gravitational force is certainly not going to suspend for a while when you will accidentally trip.

Comments are closed.