Preventing your gutters from clogging is an important part of home maintenance. Leaves, twigs, and other debris can gradually build up over time, potentially clogging your gutters and downspouts. Left unchecked, clogged gutters can lead to water damage (both on your roof and fascia), a hassle that can cost you time and money in the process. Conversely, knowing how to clean clogged gutters and what steps you can take to prevent them from clogging can set you up for success.
In this brief post, we’ll explain the three ways you can take to keep your gutters clean all year, so that you can rest easy knowing your gutters are clog-free.
1. Keep Your Rain Gutters Clean
It goes without saying that the best way to prevent your gutters from clogging is to inspect and clean them regularly. Most clogs can be avoided by adopting a regular inspection and cleaning routine that includes looking for causes of potential debris-buildup in the future. You should also check before any heavy rainfall or storms with heavy wind—just to make sure your gutters are clear of debris.
How To Clean Rain Gutters In San Antonio
You can clean your San Antonio rain gutters performing the following steps:
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- Use a ladder to visually inspect your gutter
The best way to inspect and clean your gutter is with a ladder—it’s best to leave roof-work to the pros! Just make sure it’s on solid and even ground, and use hooks to attach your bucket (for tools or collecting debris).
- Use a ladder to visually inspect your gutter
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- Standing on your ladder, inspect your gutters for debris
Starting with debris near your downspout and then going along your gutter. Make sure to look for leaves, weeds, and bird’s nests, as well as other organic material that could potentially cause problems. Use your hands (or a tool) to clear away any and all debris, and then flush out the rest of the debris with a hose.
- Standing on your ladder, inspect your gutters for debris
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- Run water from a hose through the entire system
Once you can see that your gutter is free of debris, use a hose to run water through it and flush out any remaining gunk or buildup. This time, start at the far end and move toward the downspout.
- Run water from a hose through the entire system
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- Remove your downspout if your gutters aren’t draining
If your gutters still aren’t draining, there’s a good chance you have a clog in your downspout. You clean your downspout by detaching the screws or rivets to remove it, sliding it out, and then flushing it out with a hose. Then you can re-attach the spout, and feed your hose back up it, spraying it on full-blast to release the clog.
- Remove your downspout if your gutters aren’t draining
Pro-tip: Cleaning your gutters is easiest on clear days when the debris has had a few days to dry out. If you need to clean your gutters while the debris is wet, use nitrile gloves (under your work gloves) to clean your gutters without getting your hands dirty.
2. Take Other Necessary Precautions to Prevent A Debris Build-Up
Remove the potential for debris buildup
Besides regularly inspecting and cleaning your gutters, it’s also smart to take other precautions to prevent a build-up in the future. You can do this by trimming your trees and tall hedges so that they don’t drop leaves, twigs, or pine needles on your roof. Heavy winds can move this debris into your gutters, causing them to build up and clog. You can also remove the potential for airborne debris, by inspecting for and removing loose shingles and/or loose chimney or roof material that might also fall into your gutters.
Install gutter guards
You may also want to consider adding gutter guards, as well. Gutter guards are sheaths made of mesh that let water and very fine particles pass through them. This can prevent your gutters from clogging with twigs, leaves, and other debris. They’re super effective at keeping most debris out of your gutter and are also easy to install. Simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions to install gutter guards on top of your gutters. Once installed, you can clean your gutter guards by brushing them off with a small brush, and, then by running a hose through them, to clear out any residual debris.
3. Professionally Repair & Replace Your San Antonio Gutters
One of the most overlooked ways to keep gutters resistant to clogs is by paying attention to the quality of the gutters themselves. While it’s tempting to assume that regular maintenance can avoid any and all potential problems, sometimes the headache of frequent and sporadic upkeep can outweigh the cost of repairing (or replacing) your gutters.
American Hill Country Gutters regularly performs gutter repair in San Antonio that can extend the life of your gutters by as much as 10 years. Whether your gutters could benefit from a new downspout, leaf guard protection, or reinforced drip edge flashing, we can work with you to determine the best way to ensure your gutters remain consistently clean and clog-free all year.
Not sure if you should repair your San Antonio gutters?
Give us a call today to get a free estimate.
