Gutters play a vital role in keeping water away from your home. They need to be free of debris and dirt to function smoothly. When your gutters are clogged, it becomes difficult to properly direct water from your home.
Gutters filled with debris are responsible for moisture damage in most buildings. However, cleaning your gutters can be a difficult job. Fortunately, you can employ several effective methods, such as using a ladder. Therefore, learning how to clean gutter with a ladder will make your work easier and ensure your safety as you carry out the task.
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Why is it Important to Clean Your Gutters?
Gutters perform the essential function of collecting water falling on the roof, such as rainwater, and diverting it via downspouts away from the foundations of your home. Water falling close to the foundation can cause leaks in a crawlspace or basements or around your windows without gutters.
Although they usually need minimal maintenance to function properly, gutters can get filled with debris such as leaves. The debris clogs downspouts making water run over the top of the gutter channel and falling onto the ground beneath.
The situation can worsen during winter’s melt and freeze cycles. The snow on the roof melts and then freezes in the gutter creating bulky ices blockages capable of tearing the gutter.
How to clean gutter with ladder – Guide
Cleaning your gutters with a ladder can be dangerous because there is always a risk of falling. To minimize this risk, it would be best if you used the appropriate ladder. The best option is a strong extension ladder featuring stabilizer arms. You can purchase the arms separately and attach them to your extension ladder. A suitable stabilizer will anchor your gutter protection ladder to the siding and prevents it from slipping sideways. You can have an assistant on the ground to help keep the ladder stable and hand you the tools you need.
The following methods are suitable for cleaning your gutters with a ladder:
1. Using a leaf blower
Most leaf blowers release powerful air streams through a nozzle attachment. The air streams blast leaves, twigs, and other debris from your gutter. You can use an old towel or rag to block the downspout to prevent leaves from blowing into it. After blowing, flush out any remaining debris with a hose.
2. Power washer
Blast away the layer of debris and dirt with your power washer’s fine spray nozzle. However, you should be ready to rinse your exterior walls and roof since this kind of cleaning may get messy. A pressure washer works best for clogged gutters and downspouts.
3. Cleaning by hand
It is easy to clean your gutters with a ladder, work gloves, gutter scoop, and bucket. Remove the debris, place it into the bucket, and flush the gutter with water.
Select the Right Ladder
Before settling on any ladder, always go for a ladder with a working height matching your gutter height. Keep in mind that a ladder’s working height is not equal to its total height or platform height. The total height is the ladder’s maximum length when fully extended. On the other hand, platform height is the height (measured from the ground) you can stand without any risks. You can go to the House Adept to get the right and all types of ladders.
Alternatively, it is where your feet are when you climb your ladder as far up as possible. Working height is the area you can safely reach without overbalancing your ladder.
The gutter on single-story buildings is about 3.4m off the ground. Therefore, an extension ladder whose extended height is 3.95 m or more will suffice. For two-story buildings, seek a ladder with an extended height of 5.9m or more.
Gutter Cleaning Safety
Standing on a ladder to clean your gutter is not always safe. A few gutter-cleaning implements enable you to clear out the debris while standing on the ground. However, if you must use a ladder gutter, you need to take all the necessary precautions. You can use stabilizers to ensure that your ladder is anchored to avoid slipping. It would help if you never attempted to walk on the roof to clean gutters. You can also seek the services of a professional gutter cleaning company.
Can I use a step ladder to clean gutters?
A step ladder may be ideal when working on a single-story house. However, combination ladders are more versatile. A combination ladder can function as an extension ladder and a step ladder. It comes with an inbuilt heavy-duty leveler, which provides vital stability during gutter cleaning.
Conclusion
Ensure that your ladder is set up at the appropriate angle when clearing debris from your gutter. In most instances, the correct angle is indicated on the safety mark on the ladder’s side. It is also best to learn how to clean with gutter safely and some of the tools that can help you make the task easier.
For example, an excellent ladder stabilizer lets you place your ladder on almost any outdoor surface, including gravel and wood. Remember to take regular breaks when working or ask for professional assistance when necessary.