How Often do you Clean your Gutters of Leaves?
By jennybianca
@jennybianca (12912)
Australia
February 1, 2010 5:18pm CST
For those of you who have a different kind of housing to me, gutters are around the whole edge of our roofs. They are there to catch rain run off. So if you have a 4 bedroom house, you have a lot of gutter around the roof.
I hate this job. My gutter is very long and some of it is inaccessible. For Aussies who have huge gum trees near their house, their gutters always get full of leaves. Nopw this not only means the rain won't drain away properly, but more seriously, in a big bush fire, gutters full of leaves are very dangerous. They are the numberone way our homes can catch on fire.
So there is always campainging to clean our gutters.
Today, I was on my second round of gutter cleaning. I have to climb a ladder and use a scoop thing to get the leaves.I have to shift the ladder every metre or so.
Of course, there is a huge pile of dirty leaves on the ground after this process to sweep up.
Although I am in high fire danger area, I am cleaning my gutters today, as rain and a storm are expected this afternoon.
So how often do you clean your gutters? Do you hire someone to do it?
I have included a photo of a dirty gutter full of leaves.
4 people like this
13 responses
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
1 Feb 10
I wish I had gutters, I've only got a little on the screened in porch in the back - I would love to have some on the rest of the house so I didn't get dripped on entering and leaving the house - maybe someday...
cleaning them out - now I did that once at mom's, I got on the roof and cleaned them from there - only had to go up and down the ladder ONCE!
2 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
2 Feb 10
You actually climbed up on the roof? I stand three rungs up on the ladder. Im not brave enough to go higher or get right on the roof.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
2 Feb 10
On my mom's house, never actually been on the roof here - but now that the other roomie brought over a long ladder I could.
Of all the things that I'm afraid of - heights isn't one of them.
Actually, I'm pretty much only afraid of electricity...
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
4 Feb 10
I have never cleaned gutters, the most I’ve done outside is sweep and clean windows. My husband is the one that is always on ‘yard’ duty so he cleans the gutters periodically. It is a job he does not look forward to but it needs to be done. The mesh that goes over the gutters sounds like a great idea. We don’t have too many trees near our house and where we live the bush fire risk is relatively low although one can’t be too complacent. After the horrible fires in Victoria last year it’s on my mind every summer. My brother in law came too close for comfort to losing his home and his life! Good on you for tackling such a big job by yourself!
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
6 Feb 10
I have to admit this was my first attempt for many years at cleaning my gutters.
Usually my ex did it.
Was your brother right in the bushfire area in the terrible fires last year?
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
6 Feb 10
My brother in law lives in Kilmore and the fires came very close. He sent his wife and four children away and stayed with a mate to fight the fire; he regretted it pretty soon. This is a picture of the view from his back yard. The fire stopped just before it got to the house, a real miracle, God was watching out for him that day! We were so worried about him!
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
13 Feb 10
That is such a great thing to do and using ebay is a clever idea I would not have thought of! We need lots more people like your brother, that's really great!
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
1 Feb 10
We have a giant gum tree in our back yard, plus palm trees, plus several others and our neighbours have a number of bottle brushes - so our gutters need constant cleaning.
We have a very large low set home and my hubby used to get on the roof to clean the gutters, but stooping over while on a roof when he will be 80 in a couple of months, is rather silly. We now have an attachment for a hose. It is a long arm with a hook at the end to fit over the gutter and flush out all the leaves. It does a really good job on a low-set home but might be too difficult to use on a high set one. This is made by PPI for Neta Products and is very reasonably priced.
If I lived in a bushfire area I would have gutter guard installed - a fine mesh strip which keeps all leaves out of the gutters - but that would be quite an expense on a large house.
1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
16 Feb 10
Thanks for the best response.
I hope you were able to find the attachment and that you are able to use it. My hubby used it yesterday - much better and easier, and SAFER that previous methods.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
2 Feb 10
I can see you and ytour husband have thought about the gutter cleaning situation well. Im very interested in this attachment. Im googling neta products now. My house may be set a bit too high, not sure really. I would need to look at this attachment.
Your husband definitely shouldnt be climbing on roofs at age 80. My friend was telling me how his father, aged 82, still climbed on the roof to clean gutters despite protest from his family. Apparently he only wears his undies when he does this job, and only gets on the roof from the back of his house, so his neighbours dont see him.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
3 Feb 10
urgh..i have no choice but to hire someone..our house is way too high.
the one side has screens for the gutter,but the other has to be done this year.
the thing that makes me really angry is the leaves aren't mine!
they come from the neighbor's tree.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215424)
• Chile
1 Feb 10
My late husband built our home as he buit many (it was his job). But he did a lot of awesome things for us that he did not do in other houses because noone would pay for that. He puta sort or wire mesh sealing it from leaves and small animals and birds. But the water still goes were it should. My house is 20 years old and the mesh has been paid several times. It´s absolutly worth the investment. I don´t know if I explained clearly, as English is not my native language. Even if you have to sweep, it is sweeping over the gutters, not IN the gutters. The job is a lot easier.
I hope this helps. Take care!
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
2 Feb 10
That was a great idea of your husbands. He could make a business out if it. But why wont people pay for this?
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
2 Feb 10
I have never cleaned my gutters. I had a new roof put on a few years ago, and they completely changed the roof line. It was in two sections and they made it one. They put gutters on, but not the whole way around the house. I don't have many tall trees, so I don't get many leaves in the gutters I do have. If I did do it, I'd have to hire someone. I wouldn't want to and couldn't do it myself, I can't climb a ladder. Maybe you should invest in those screens that go over your gutter, and that would keep the leaves out.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
2 Feb 10
My ex did put some thing called gutter gurad in the gutters, but he complained that it didnt seem to work and now I see why. The screen you refer to may be better, but with my big house it would be costly.
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
2 Feb 10
In the long run the cost might be worth it. You won't be able to do it yourself forever and it would probably be expensive to hire someone to do it for you. Plus it might save you from doing a job you hate!1 person likes this
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
2 Feb 10
Hi jennybianca, thi is one job I'm glad I don't have to do anymore. When I lived in Hastings, Vic, it was a job I had to do pre summer, and I agree, a terrible job. However I didn't have a real problem as there weren't a lot of large trees nearby. Since, 1997, I have lived in Thailand, and it is not a problem there. One of the jobs I hated, I must admit.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
2 Feb 10
Wow! You live in Thailand! At least you missed the terrible bushfires in Victoria last year. Why are you living there now?
1 person likes this
@weasel81 (2496)
• Australia
2 Feb 10
last time i think i got on a roof for the gutter, i got stuck up there while being a bit on the smart side. all i could do was laugh and mum couldn't help me get down cause she can't get up the ladder. i eventually managed to get my self to where i wanted to be.
last time my partner cleaned the gutters on our house, he broke 2 tiles, and didn't say anything so we got a leak inside when it actually did rain, i was not impressed nor was my boss cause he had to fix it. but i will climb up and claen them out, long as i got a big enough ladder don't like getting down at times.
did u know you can get a gutter guard? it's like black plastic mesh, u can put in and it stops the leaves getting in a clogging it all up.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
3 Feb 10
I thought I had a gutter guard there, put my ex, but it cant be the right one.
I would not want to get stuck on a roof. Our plumper broke tiles on our roof too, causing a flood in my kitchen when it rained.
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
9 Feb 10
i never remember to! heck until some one points it out im oblivious
1 person likes this
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
2 Feb 10
I have those gutter guards on mine but you still have to clean them every once in a while. I really just do it once or twice a year depending on how the weather is. I need to do them right now to be honest. Oh..I would do it myself or have my boyfriend do it..lol.. My roof is not that high in the front and it isn't very pitched either.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
3 Feb 10
I thought I had gutter guards, that my ex put in, but I dont think it is the right kind.
Once or twice a year of cleaning gutters should be quite sufficient.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
2 Feb 10
Im going to have to hire someone to do part of the gutter cleaning as I just cant access it. Hope it doesnt cost too much. I want to move into a smaller house. I know I would still have gutter cleaning, but it would be far less.
@yezhanjun043 (100)
• China
2 Feb 10
Because I have no other in the vicinity of people who live,so I generally cleaned once six months.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
3 Feb 10
Every two to three months is really good. You are a hard worker.
