The Benefits of Clean Gutters in Minnesota
Avoid damage to your roof and walls; maintain your gutters to ensure your home is in good shape! Are you house proud? Perhaps you spend a lot of time keeping your home in good shape. Although there are many jobs that require doing within your home, tasks such as cleaning your gutters are extremely important in order to protect your home from getting damaged, especially damage to your roof and walls which could be costly.
Buildings Insurance
Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing the structural aspects of your Minnesota home. Clogged gutters can cause drainage problems, and this in turn can lead to flooding which can damage the structure of your home. To avoid this happening it’s always a good idea to stay on top of your gutter maintenance.
Cleaning your gutters – some simple instructions
Step 1 – You will need to gain access to your roof so it is advised that you use a ladder. Make sure not to lean the ladder against a gutter, as it can easily bend or cause damage.
Step 2 – Start by removing leaves and any twigs that may have collected in the gutter. It is recommended that you use a trowel to remove debris, which can be difficult to remove by hand.
Step 3 – If there is any caked-on dirt, wet it with water and remove using a trowel.
Step 4 – Take a plastic bag or refuse sack up the ladder with you. Hang it on the ladder so that you can place debris inside it, dropping the bag when it is full.
Step 5 – Ensure that downpipes are not clogged. Water is the best thing to unclog downpipes with. Simply place a garden hose down the pipe, but be careful as downpipes are not designed to withstand huge amounts of pressure.
Step 6 – If you have access to a leaf blower, this can help with the process of clearing your gutters. Be careful when going up a ladder carrying a leaf blower, they are often heavy and blow a lot of dust around which may get in your eyes.
Step 7 – Use your hose to flush your gutter system after clearing. This is also a good time to check if there are any leaks in your guttering.
Call your Minnesota seamless gutter contractor today.
What You Need to Know Before Installing Minnesota Gutters
Like any other project, knowing the basics is the most important part of the process. There are certain parts that you will need, and the knowledge to choose which type of parts to get can be very helpful. Read more
Tips For Rain Gutters and Downspouts
Gutters and downspouts are the silent heroes of your Minnesota house. You never think about them and all the hard work they do. Until they stop working. Then the rain starts pouring over the sides, the downspouts are clogged up, and it’s a big mess. Maybe it’s time to have new rain gutters and downspouts installed. Let’s take a look at what you may need to know. Read more
Gutters and Repairing Or Replacing Gutter Nails – Gutters Sagging Or Falling Off? Some Simple Repair
Cleaning and maintaining Minnesota rain gutters may be one of the most ignored tasks for home owners. We will only drag out the ladder when the gutters are overflowing; water leaking into the basement or there are so many maple seedlings growing our houses look like a Chia Pet. You don’t need me to remind you that cleaning the gutters twice a year is a must. The spring cleaning, after the seeds and helicopters come down, is the most important. Many seeds float and quickly make their way to the downspout where it will become clogged in no time. In the fall the weather can change fast and the cold and wet is miserable and dangerous for ladder climbing. I have been in the gutter repair and maintenance business for more than five years and I can tell you late spring cleaning is critical to yearly gutter maintenance.
But you’re saying that you clean the gutters twice yearly and the dang things are still hanging off the house with water pooling far away from the downspout giving mosquitoes a perfect breeding pond for their eggs. What is happening is the nails are pulling out of the house and need to be hammered back in. This is a simple and effective way to extend the working life of your gutters indefinitely. The next time you’re at the hardware store get a hammer belt hook. This small thick leather devise with a heavy wire loop and slots for your belt is a safe way to carry a claw hammer up and down the ladder. As you move along cleaning the gutter, hammer the nails back in but do not crush the gutter. You should be able to reach three nails but be careful to never reach out to far. A good rule of thumb is to always keep your shoulders within the width of the ladder.
A few solid hits should tighten the nail but what if the nail remains loose? A properly installed nail must penetrate the end of the truss, rafter or ceiling joist. The fascia, nailed to the ends of the trusses, is less than an inch thick and ¼ inch gutter nails will split the plank then the nail will come loose if done incorrectly. Finding the truss ends is nearly impossible if the fascia has been covered with aluminum or vinyl siding because you can’t see the nails used to fix the fascia in place and trying to measure for the truss ends, even if you’re 1/16 of an inch off, by the third truss you’ll be missing the solid wood necessary to hold the nail.
So you have a gutter that has been ignored for years and you can’t tighten the gutter nail. I have cleaned and repaired thousands and thousands of feet of gutters and the hidden hanger with an integral self-drilling screw is the answer. You can get these hangers at the big-box home store but a better bet is to go to a siding and gutter supply house. It is worth the trip as you’ll be amazed at the selection and variety of gutter products and tools. This type of hidden hanger uses a ¼ inch hex-head drive and easily is screwed through the back of the gutter and into the fascia. The screw is at an angle to increase holding power and because it drills its own hole, it is far superior to nails. The smaller diameter self-drilling screw will not split the plank and if you don’t hit the truss end will still hold for many years. The problem with the hidden hanger is you’ll need clearance to hook it under the upper outside edge of the gutter and then swing it over to clip over the edge of the back of the gutter. If the roof overhang is too great you can’t make the swing without prying up the shingles. If the gutter is hanging away from the roof edge put the hangers in place along the offending length, then push up the gutter as best you can, then drive the screws in. Leave the old nails in place to fill the holes.
Another product is gutter screws that replace the gutter nail. These work well if the old nail was in the truss but pulled out anyway. The screws come with a tube to fit inside the gutter and are slightly larger in diameter. The screw is also longer to bite into solid wood. The preferred screw will have a square drive which is supplied in the box. To install a gutter screw you’ll have to first pull out the old nail with a pair of locking pliers like Vice-Grips. Then simply drive the screw into the old hole, through the tube and into the wood.
Remember to be careful on ladders and wear over-the-ankle lace-up boots. You’ll also need a good battery powered drill/driver, hammer with a belt hook and locking pliers. Keeping those nails tight will extend the life and usefulness of your Minnesota gutters for years.
Gutter Cleaning Basics – Simple Tools and Methods to Work Safely
Sometimes we put jobs off because they seem difficult and dangerous. Minnesota Gutter cleaning and maintenance is probably at the top of the procrastination list but gutters should be cleaned twice a year if possible. The spring cleaning, after the seeds and helicopters come down, is the most important. Many seeds float and quickly make their way to the downspout where it will become clogged in no time. In the fall the weather can change fast and the cold and wet is miserable and dangerous for ladder climbing. I have been in the gutter repair and maintenance business for more than five years and I can tell you late spring cleaning is critical to yearly gutter maintenance. We’ll look at few simple tools and methods that will make the job a little less scary and a little easier to do.
The biggest tool of course is the ladder. I have found an extension ladder is the best type for gutter cleaning because you can get above the gutter and look down into it. Don’t worry about scratching the gutter. The coatings they use on gutters are very tough and very few people are going to openly criticize you about a couple of mars on your gutters. Safety is your main concern and you don’t want to reach blindly back and over the edge of the gutter. Going up on roof should be avoided too: the pitch of the roof is very difficult to work on and worse if you are leaning over the edge. The shingles are easy to break off and your boots will gouge away the tiny stones decreasing the life of the roof. You will also need flat wedge large enough to rest one foot of the ladder so it will be level; a heavy pair of rubber work gloves and a belt hook to carry a small garden hoe. The local hardware will carry many of these items but go to the Yellow Pages and find a ladder and scaffolding supply store. You’ll be pleased to find many products the big box stores can’t carry. And remember to wear over-the-ankle lace-up boots.
An extension ladder that extends to 14 feet is good for a single story and at least 24 feet for a two story home. The ladders will have instructions on the side which must be followed closely. The small garden hoe should not be more than three inches across and the handle not more than two feet long. This will be easy to carry in a belt hook or other tool belt. The heavy rubber gloves are needed to avoid being cut by numerous sharp screws and edges inside the gutter. The gloves will also keep your hands clean and dry (a real blessing in the cold!).
Start at the end of the gutter opposite the downspout. Work your way along reaching out with the hoe but always keep your shoulders within the vertical rails of the ladder. You should be able to reach three to four feet of gutter from each side at a time safely. Be very careful when cleaning over the downspout. Don’t drag the hoe across the opening, instead use your fingers to gently reach under the leaves and seeds and push them over and remove. I don’t bother with a hose. Hoses are dangerous and difficult to handle on a ladder and only make things slippery. The hose will also wash too much solid material into the upper elbows at one time clogging them. Just leave the small bits that don’t come out by hand for the rain to gently wash away. Remember your gutters are not a surgical operating room. I would never use a leaf blower because these will just force leaves and seeds into the downspout and being on the roof waving a heavy piece of equipment around just sounds like a disaster!
The best thing about using an extension ladder is being able to look down into the downspout. Thump on it a few times and you’ll know if it is plugged. Of all the gutters and downspouts I’ve seen these upper elbows are the worst places for plugs. If the elbows are riveted together (a rivet looks like a small flat disc with a small hole in the center) you’ll have to drill it out with a 1/8 drill bit using a cordless drill/driver. The downspouts may also be screwed together with self drilling screws that have ¼ inch hex heads. The elbows may have several rivets or screws and are sometimes hard to pull apart. In come cases you will have to take the entire downspout down by removing the straps. The elbows and straps can be re-assembled with the self-drilling screws (color matched screws are available at gutter and siding supply houses).
So now you are ready to keep your Minnesota gutters clean and flowing freely. If you have not spent a lot of time on ladders, start out by leaning the ladder against your house or garage and practicing a little; get the feel of being on a ladder; ladders are flexible and will bounce a little. Start with the easy to reach gutters around the garage and 1st story; then work your way up to the higher levels. Use the flat wedge to shim up the ladder if it is not perpendicular to the ground. Again, follow the directions that come with the ladder.
Replacing Gutters – What to Know About Gutter Replacement
A gutter is a necessity for all Minnesota homes, particularly if your home is in an area that experiences heavy rainfall. As water needs to drain from your roof and not simply run off it, a gutter is needed to divert any runoff from your roof. Of course, a gutter can become clogged with leaves and other debris, and this main reason is why many hate cleaning gutters. Although recent inventions like gutter protection or guards help reduce the amount of leaves and other debris clogging a gutter, a gutter still needs to be cleaned a few times per year.
In general, a gutter is made from aluminum or vinyl U-shaped tubes. This fixture is then attached to the edge of a roof. Although clipping a gutter to a roof is the basic procedure, it should still be installed by a professional, as the wrong placement could take a gutter down during a rainstorm. In addition, many installers recommend adding a downspout for the gutter, instead of having the water flow off the side of your house. For those in colder climates, using a deicer is recommended for the gutter to prevent it, especially vinyl designs, from breaking or tearing.
The obvious solution to reduce this leaf problem is to install a gutter cover. Gutter covers slide over or inside the standard U-shaped trough and prevent larger particles, such as leaves and seed pods. Although some gutter companies will claim their covers filter out all debris, smaller particles, such as dirt and sand, may pass into the gutter with water, and, as with an ordinary gutter, the trough still needs to be cleaned a few times a year. For areas with large amounts of foliage, guards for Minnesota gutters are significantly beneficial.
How to Clean Aluminum Gutters
Aluminum gutters require very little upkeep and maintenance. They do not rust and although they are lightweight can handle any type of weather that there is. While you will not have to worry about rust, you will still need to keep your gutters free and clear to ensure that they are going to be able to do their job for you for a long time to come. Cleaning aluminum gutters is easy and does not take much time, as long as you know what the best steps to take are.
No matter what type of Minnesota gutters you have, you will need to watch out for certain things. Insects, dirt, twigs and leaves are just a few of the types of debris that can wreak havoc on your aluminum guttering. While it can be difficult and overwhelming the first time that you clean your gutters, you will find that the more often you do it, the easier it is.
The first thing that you will need to do is get a plastic trash bag. This is best if it is attached to your ladder. This way you will not have to go far to throw away all of the debris, the easier it is to get to, the better it will be for you while you clean. Be sure that you have a sturdy bag that will be able to withstand things like twigs.
It is usually a good idea to have someone there with you, especially if you are unsure of how level the ground is. In addition to this, you should always remember to wear gloves and eye goggles. The safer you are, the less you will have to worry about when you are cleaning out your aluminum gutters.
Start from the low part of the gutter near the part of the drain. You will need to work your way completely away from your aluminum gutter. You should slowly be making your way up towards the steep part of your house.
When you are cleaning your gutters, you should know of the tools that will be beneficial to you while you are working. With the right tools, you will find that the job can be a very easy and quick one. One of the tools that you will need is a garden trowel. The narrower it is, the easier the job will be. This is perfect for scooping out damp leaves as well as dirt. Once you have used your garden trowel, a high pressure hose will do the trick of cleaning out the rest of the gutter. When you do this, you will of course want to work near the drain outlet.
If there are any types of stubborn blockages that you are struggling with, then there are tools that are perfect for the job. A plumbers snake is great for getting out even the most stubborn blockages from our aluminium gutters. You will find with these steps and precautions you will have absolutely no trouble cleaning out your aluminum gutters.
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Water and time are the most damaging forces that mother nature can throw at any home. If preventative measures are not taken to curb the damaging effects that rain, snow, and ice cause, a home owner’s biggest investment will become the biggest liability and expense. Chances of wood rot, mold, fungus, and insect infestations are greatly increased each and every time the home’s exterior siding, soffits, and fascia become saturated with moisture. Read more
The Importance of Gutter Maintenance
Many Minnesota people take their rain gutters and downspouts for granted. They see the guttering attached to their home, but they never give them a second thought. That can be a mistake for several reasons that we will take a closer look at in a second, but gutter maintenance is a very important part of your entire homes maintenance. Read more
10 Reasons To Have Gutters On Your Minnesota Home
There’s a reason why Minnesota homeowners procrastinate cleaning their gutters. It’s dangerous. No one likes hauling the ladder around or twisting their back to get at hard-to-reach spots. However, ignoring the chore can do long-term damage to your roof, basement, foundation, fascia, and even the interior of your home. Read more
