We are officially in Autumn season and no other part of your house is susceptible to the conditions of autumn than your gutters. Leaves, twigs, rain, and low temperatures are locked and loaded and ready to put your gutter system to the test. With the first week of October on the way it’s time to officially prepare your gutters for the season.
5 Steps to Preparing Your Gutters For Autumn
1. Clean and Inspect
The first rule of the autumn season for your gutters is clean and inspect. Unravel your garden hose one last time before it’s tucked into the garage until spring and flush out your gutters and downspouts. Give it a power washing and then put on your outdoor work gloves to pick up and wipe away any remaining debris. If it’s been a long time since you’ve cleaned your gutters you will want to fill up a bucket with warm water and washing up liquid and wipe them down with a sturdy sponge. Only when your gutters have been thoroughly cleaned can you perform a proper inspection. The reason for the inspection is to check for loose brackets/screws, uneven sections, leaks, or any form of excessive wear and tear.
2. Repair Where Needed
Once you’ve cleaned and inspected your gutters you will have a good idea of where repair is essential. This can’t wait. Buy exact-fit brackets and screws and then replace and secure them where needed. If you’ve uncovered leaks, it may be possible to patch them. For good measure, clean the area surrounding the leak again, but this time using a wire brush and water, then scrub with an abrasive pad once it has dried. Apply plastic roofing cement over the hole while smoothing out the edges of the cement. If the repairs are significant enough that they have impacted the appearance of your gutters you can always paint them when on a mild day.
3. Keep Cold Weather Intruders from Nestling-In
Autumn doesn’t just bring falling leaves and rainfall, its cold snap sends rodents (mice, rats, squirrels and raccoons) packing for higher ground. The cozy beds presented by your gutters and downpipes exit points gives them a place to nest. Pay a visit to your local hardware for humane rodent repellent and check your gutters often through the season to ensure they are free from nesting intruders.
4. Install Gutter Guards
No matter how well you’ve trimmed your trees and raked the garden leaves will still find their way on to your roof. It’s what they do. If you don’t yet have them, autumn is prime time to finally install gutter guards. A gutter guard, is a fitted screen with pinpoints wide enough to allow rainwater to collect within and funnel through while preventing leaves and twigs from entering
5. When in Doubt – Call the experts
Your inspection, cleaning, and attempts at repair may have evidenced that your gutters need replacing in the near future. If that’s the case, then it may as well be now. Delaying the inevitable and waiting another year or two can spell big trouble. One harsh autumn storm could deal the final blow that results in significant gutter damage, damage that will impact your garden landscape, home exterior, and worse…the interior. The good news, is that you are entering the best season to take care of this.
RH Gutter Cleaning Dublin
RH Power Washing uses specialised gutter cleaning equipment to inspect and clean your gutters. Practicing the above steps need to be taken with extreme causation especially if you are using a ladder to inspect and clean your gutter. Working from a height is always dangerous, so always call the experts if you are not 100% confident in undergoing this process yourself. RH Power Washing use a Gutter Vacuum System to inspect and clean gutters – no ladders involved. Check out our video here on how we clean gutters.
Whether you are looking for Gutter Cleaning, Driveway Cleaning, Patio Cleaning, Wood Decking Cleaning – at RH Power Washing, we are here to meet your needs.
We have built a loyal customer base by treating them and their homes respectfully, and we’ve worked hard to make sure we get the job done better than anyone else can. If you are looking for professional power washing washing , call us today on 087 6089310 or 01 5639624
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We also offer Power Washing, Gutter Cleaning, Window Cleaning, Oven Cleaning and more. Call us today to book your appointment!
