Spring Gutter Cleaning Tips in Colorado

Springtime in Colorado, especially along the Front Range, is a mixed bag of weather conditions. We’ve been known to oscillate between record-breaking heat and white-out blizzards within the span of 24 hours. All the more reason to make sure that your gutters are in proper working order after the long winter season. To be sure, your gutters most likely took a beating from snowstorms, so in order to be prepared for a new rainy season, Front Range Seamless Gutters has put together this handy list of to-dos to make sure your gutters are up to the challenge of a new year and a new season. It’s imperative that you keep your gutters in good shape, especially in Colorado. Failure to make sure your gutters are working properly can result in the need for costly repairs due to foundation issues, water damage, and mold formation.

Tip #1: Use Ladders Responsibly

When a ladder is required to reach your gutters, make absolutely sure that you’re using a sturdy, safe, reliable ladder. According to the World Health Organization, the United States is the world-leader in ladder-related injuries and deaths, with over 164,000 emergency room visits and 300 deaths due to ladder injuries per year. If you’re still using the wonky clunker of a ladder that you found in the garage when you moved into your home or inherited from great-grandpa, it’s time to invest in something new and dependable, ideally an aluminum or fiberglass ladder with a shelf that can support a bucket that you can fill with debris from your gutters. Never use a ladder that you don’t trust with your life, because that literally may be the case.

Tip #2: Be Mindful of Overhead Powerlines

Although overhead powerlines typically aren’t as much of a problem in newer neighborhoods along the Front Range, in older neighborhoods it’s still common to see the occasional powerline that may be a little too close for comfort to an area around which you’re trying to work. If this is the case, make sure that the powerlines’ protective insulation is intact before working in any close proximity to them. If the insulation appears damaged or degraded in any way, or if you’re just not certain, contact a licensed electrician to perform any necessary repairs before you do any gutter maintenance. That is a shocking experience that you do not want any part of.

Tip #3: Use Power Tools When Necessary

The old adage holds true for gutter maintenance — work smarter, not harder. The simple addition of a garden hose with a pistol-grip trigger can save you hours of hard work. Basic power tool accessories like this can be safely hung from your gutters without damaging them as you move your ladder along the roofline or need to free up your hands for other cleaning tasks. You probably don’t want to take a sandblaster to your gutter system, but using a garden hose attachment to add some water pressure to your cleaning arsenal can speed up the process of cleaning your gutters exponentially. 

Tip #4: Clean From Top to Bottom

As you go about your gutter cleaning routine, keep in mind that any debris on your roof will inevitably follow gravity and make its way into your gutters. Because of this, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by cleaning from top to bottom — meaning you should clear debris from the areas of your roof above your gutters before clearing out the gutters themselves. You can use a sensible brush, broom, or rake to clear the debris from the preponderance of your roof before tackling your gutters. 

Tip #5: Use Proper Footwear

Since we’re on the subject of possibly needing to set foot on your roof, we should address proper footwear. When it is deemed absolutely necessary to go up on your roof to clear debris or access a portion of your gutters that is difficult to access otherwise, it is vital that you wear appropriate shoes or boots. This is not a task where flip-flops are appropriate. Before setting foot on your roof, make sure that you are wearing rubber-soled shoes in order to prevent slipping. Whenever possible, avoid walking on a wet roof in order to minimize your chances of losing your footing. 

Tip #6: Don’t Forget About Your Downspouts

Downspouts are easy to overlook simply because it’s more difficult to see the extent to which clogs may exist. In most instances, clearing your downspouts of any obstructions should be possible by blasting water from a hose down the downspouts at full-force. You can also tap along the downspout to help dislodge any clogs (not so hard that you’ll risk damaging the spouts, but enough to knock sticks and debris loose). It’s possible that sticks, twigs, leaves, and other debris can start flying during this step of the process, so protective eyewear is recommended. 

Contact Us for Spring Gutter Maintenance Services

These six tips are all simple things that any Colorado homeowner can handle. In the event, however, that there are problems with your gutters that need professional assistance, such as leaks, cracks, gutters that are separating from your house structure, or simply underperforming gutter systems, contact the friendly professionals at Front Range Seamless Gutters! We proudly serve a large stretch of Colorado’s Front Range region, including Fort Collins, Loveland, Boulder, Longmont, Denver, and all the way up to Cheyenne. If your traditional gutters just aren’t up to the task of dealing with Colorado’s weather, you can get your quote for premium seamless gutters by contacting us today!