Gutter Cleaning Tools – 4 Common Types

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Gutter Cleaning Tools – Why You need An All-In-One Solution

When it comes to ridding your gutters from dirt, leaves and debris, gutter cleaning tools come in handy. You start looking at the different tools that can help you effectively remove the debris from your gutters, while at the same time leaving then sparkling clean.

The result of such a search usually leads to buying different tools, each being limited to only one aspect of the gutter cleaning process. The question is; is there a single tool or solution that has all functionality and cleaning aspects in one? Below are some of the different gutter cleaning tools. Let’s explore each before answering the question above.

Gutter Cleaning Tools

1. The gutter cleaning robots

Although they can do the cleaning job well, these robots have a number of shortcomings. To start with, you will need to get them in to the gutters. You therefore need a ladder. When in the gutters, they can easily get stuck and it will be up to you to figure out where they got stuck. Then you head up the ladder or to the roof to free them so that they can continue with their job. Of course, freeing them the first time does not mean that they won’t get stuck again.

These cleaning robots are also quite expensive to buy and maintain. They also run on electric power which is generated by their rechargeable battery. This means that if there is water in the gutters at the time of cleaning, you run the risk of getting an electric shock.

2. Gutter cleaning tongs

These are the tools that act like your hands when you are cleaning the gutters. They do a good job of grabbing the leaves and large sticks that are stuck in the gutters. However, they are not good when it comes to removing the tiny debris, the grit, and also the water that stands in the gutters. In other words, they are not fully efficient in completing the whole gutter cleaning job. Further more, they can only work for a limited height, so higher roofs will need another solution.

3. The gutter cleaning vacuum attachment

This gutter cleaning option is very efficient at ridding the gutters from the leaves, dirt and water. However, they can easily get clogged up especially if you are removing wet debris. Removing these clogs is time consuming, making the whole gutter cleaning process cumbersome and unenjoyable. The clogging can also easily bring about malfunction of this tool, rendering it useless until it is repaired or replaced.

4. Gutter cleaning hose attachment

This tool works by shooting water into the gutters during the cleaning process. However, they way they shoot the water is not efficient enough to push the debris out of the gutters. Washing all of the large debris into the downspouts could cause the downspouts to become clogged as well. The hose attachment is also not ideal if you are not ready to get all wet and dirty as you clean up your gutters. They are short and cannot extend far enough to allow you a distance away from the wet debris that is falling out of the gutters.

What’s the all-in-one gutter cleaning solution?

As clearly noted above, each of these tools can not aid you to do a complete gutter cleaning on their own. To avoid all this struggle, check into Leaf Slugger for complete solution to eliminating gutter cleaning. It is an all in one gutter cleaning solution and water management system to prevent clogged gutters and to control water and safely remove it away from your home.

5 Reasons to Avoid Gutter Guard Screens

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gutter screensEveryone has heard of them and many people have fallen for the scam around them, gutter guard screens simply do not work how they should. Screens don’t live up to the expectations and the promises made by the companies who make and install them. While there are many reasons to avoid gutter guard screens, here are the top five:

1. They clog up. Not just that, but they will clog up much faster than you would expect them to. Within months of installing these mesh screens on your gutters, they will begin to fill the holes and gaps with anything from pine tree needles to mud and droppings from birds. Once these mesh screens get clogged, they simply stop working and can cause any number of problems to your home and property.

2. They require maintenance. Unlike gutter guards that have a more solid top with specially designed inlets for water, screens need to be cleaned and unclogged at least a couple of times each year. If you are unable to do this yourself, it can be an expensive. The whole reason guards are installed is to eliminate maintenance. Having to clean them is just as bad as not having the product and cleaning your gutters out like before.

3. Screens can damage your gutters. After a screen starts to clog up with dirt and debris, it will begin to form a kind of miniature dam in your gutters. This means that all of those leaves that fall onto your roof will not even get washed down to the ground, they will just pile up at the edge of the roof and collect more debris with them. This can cause major problems and compromise the structural integrity of your gutters. With enough debris and enough weight piled on, gutters have been known to begin bending. If left alone and not completely cleaned out and emptied, they can cause gutters to simply fall off the roof, causing even more damage and harm.

4. Water doesn’t actually go in to the gutters. When using a gutter guard screen, water from rain will usually just run down your roof, on to the screen and keep flowing all the way past the gutter and in to your yard. Instead of attracting water into the gutters, mesh screens only direct water to keep on flowing down and over the edge. This can create major problems for home owners. It will make large pools of water on their property, overload septic tanks and can even rip out or kill grass and plants during heavy rains.

5. Icicles. During the winter months, gutter guard screens act as portals for icicles to form on. Because they have very porous surfaces and are lodged firmly into place on top of the gutters and hanging over the edge, icicles form very easily on them During long and extended periods of cold weather and snow, the added weight from icicles will bend and damage your gutters. With enough weight and time, they can rip gutters off from rooftops.

If you are consider a gutter protection system, consider a proven system that is proven to last.

Types of Gutter Covers

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There are several different types of gutter covers but there are only 2 basic ways of preventing your gutters from getting clogged. The first is to cover them with a system that keeps blockages out but lets water in. The second way is to put something in the gutter itself that won’t allow leaves and other debris in but will allow the water to flow thru easily.

Available Gutter protection systems fit into the following categories:
Protective screens. These are made of metal or plastic. They are relatively low-cost and easy to install. Some fit on top of the gutter and some fit into the gutter. They are prone to bending or to damage and can still become blocked by snow, ice or fine debris and require some cleaning, even if less frequently. When screens become clogged they tend to weight down the gutter itself and this can weaken or even damage the gutter system.

Hooded products rely on water adhesion between the water and the gutter cover to direct the water streaming off the roof into the gutters while the debris gets deflected over the edge to fall harmlessly to the landscape below. Fine pieces of debris are carried by the water flow out of the downspouts. A quality Gutter Cover system will also strengthen the existing  gutters.

Gutter fillers or “in-the-gutter” products fill the gutter with some sort of material, either a “brush” or foam filter which allows the passage of water but keeps large pieces of debris excluded while smaller debris may be retained. They are inexpensive and easy to install. They are prone to a build-up of mold and also need to be cleaned periodically. This may involve removal and refitting. Some of the materials can degrade over time and exposure to the weather and elements the filters become hard or brittle.

Dispersal systems replace conventional gutters and instead rely on breaking-up the water into smaller drops which fall in a pattern around the home. There is little control over the water and pooling around the foundation can occur, leading to expensive repairs, possibly erosion and damage to surrounding property, including that of the neighbors could result.

Integral (one-piece) systems replace the gutter with a gutter and protection in a complete, integrated unit. They are relatively expensive and would only be advised if complete replacement of gutters is necessary. Repairs are more expensive. Often multiple, awkwardly positioned downspouts may be required.

So the real question is up to the homeowner; which type of gutter covers work best? Systems which strengthen the gutter system are preferred as gutters may be required to bear loads for which they were not designed, leading to damage. Proven gutter cover systems can handle rain water during a heavy downpour. Preventing blockages is far more of a factor leading to damage. As one of the objectives is to eliminate cleaning as much as possible, those systems which may themselves require cleaning cannot be recommended. So although the screen and “in-the-gutter” types may be inexpensive and easy to install, this knocks them out of the equation. Dispersal types can’t get blocked but can allow water to damage the home or property, so they shouldn’t be considered, either.

This leaves the hooded or integral types. Although the hooded types have certain advantages in terms of repairs, it is a close call, especially if the gutter system needs replacement. Both will handle as much water volume as can reasonably be expected of them. A positive side to hooded systems is they also strengthen the gutter system and provide a more complete water management system, so a search here should provide a system of gutter covers which would satisfy all requirements.

Important Factors When Deciding on a Gutter Protection System

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What Factors are Important when Deciding on a Gutter Protection System?

Now that gutter guards are available to the responsible homeowner it makes sense to have them installed. You can save the cost or dangers of regular gutter cleaning and be sure that your home is protected from damage caused by inadequately controlled water flowing from the roof to places where it’s not wanted. After all, your gutters are designed to fit into a controlled drainage system and anything which interferes with proper draining of your gutters is a potential problem. So a gutter system sells itself.

But there are many competing brands and types of gutter protection available, all boasting of their particular advantages. So what should you look for when choosing? A suggested list of practical features are:

• Sturdy construction for a long and trouble-free service life. This is important, you don’t want to have to replace the system anytime soon. The system pays for itself, but the longer it lasts the greater your ultimate saving. This factor is a biggie.

• Proper control of water and debris. It must not allow leaves or other debris and ice to build up and result in clogging the gutter protection itself. This would just shift the problem from the gutter to the gutter guard. It must properly direct the overflow water into the gutters while leaves and ice or other rubbish which might clog the gutters falls safely over the edge.

• It must enhance your home. You don’t want an unsightly installation which will spoil the appearance of your home. You are trying to improve your home, not detract from its value.

• It must come with appropriate warranties. Any product may have unexpected problems. You need to be sure these will be sorted out to your satisfaction.

• System should be able to handle high winds and extreme volumes of water. Our weather patterns are changing in unguessable ways and your guttering (which includes the covers) needs to be able to handle any changes.

• Should preferably be locally-made for better support and quality. You don’t want to end up in a situation where the installers have disappeared and you’re left struggling with a disinterested overseas manufacturer to correct any deficiencies.

• Must strengthen existing gutters. You don’t want a system which puts an extra load on existing gutters and damages them.

• Cost – should be reasonably priced and affordable. In reality you should be prepared to pay a bit extra for a really good system. If you can get it more reasonably priced, that’s a real bonus!

I’m sure you can come up with other requirements for your specific needs, but this is a good list to get you started. If you are able to find a system which satisfies all these requirements it will likely be a very good choice.

So what’s your next step? I would suggest an internet search and an evaluation of available gutter guard systems against this list. Any worthwhile supplier will offer a free consultation. Remember, the sooner you act the sooner your home will be better equipped to face that major storm, and the sooner you will have peace of mind – at least about blocked gutters, thanks to your new gutter guards.

Really, How Important Are Rain Gutters?

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Rain GutterJust when the first rain gutter was fitted to a building is unknown, but they go back a very long time. In England in the Middle Ages a very common lawsuit was for rainwater from a neighbor’s gutters damaging a house, materials for the average wattle and daub house (basically just mud and sticks) were very vulnerable to such damage. But it is interesting that even relatively simple houses routinely had gutters out of necessity, although they were just simple boards to direct the flow away from the walls. The alternative would be huge overhanging roofs to carry the rainwater well clear of the walls. However their history goes back much further and they are very evident on grand buildings from earlier times, with gargoyles or other rainspouts to throw the water well clear.

Even today, gutters are very important in protecting our homes and helping to control the flow of water from the roof so that it can be directed in a harmless direction to prevent erosion or other damage, with possible legal consequences. Good gutters and downpipes make good neighbors.

Despite this ancient history and many incremental improvements in material as well as understanding of design requirements for an effective rain gutter system on buildings, the basic design hasn’t advanced substantially for a long time. Today we take rain gutters for granted and seldom consider all the benefits these standard items confer on modern houses. Of course, constructions like log cabins don’t usually have such refinements – and may be damaged because of the lack of this basic protection.

However, anyone who has experienced the damage that can follow gutters being blocked by snow or ice with a consequent uncontrolled and harmful overflow of rain or melt water. In some climates this is a frequent problem, and most homeowners are very aware of the need to keep gutters unblocked. Anything other than very basic gutters must have suffered from this problem. The early rainspouts could easily end up blocked and water could then dam up until it flooded through the roof and caused damage to the interior of those grand buildings.

So it seems strange that only recently someone came up with a solution to the problem of blocked gutters. Perhaps it required suitable technology to become cheap enough or perhaps gutters were just taken for granted and inventors never considered what potential there was in developing a better gutter system.

Whatever the reason, the fact that effective protection is available for gutters to prevent them getting blocked is an absolute blessing for all homeowners today. There are various systems available, so it is worth looking at the various types and considering their advantages and disadvantages before deciding on a particular type.

We confidently predict that gutter covers will become standard features in most new construction. At the moment very few buildings have this form of protection, although all concerned homeowners should have a system like this retrofitted to their homes. Rain Gutter protectors greatly reduce the chances of damage and eliminate the tiresome chore of checking and clearing gutters, so they pay for themselves through time and labor as well as repair bills. If you still don’t have gutter guards you should have them fitted as soon as possible so that you can start enjoying the benefits right away.