• By Liam Ridings
• In Roof Tiling, Strata Maintenance

Gutter Cleaning: Why Essential

Gutter Cleaning: Why Essential

Gutters are designed to take water from the roof and deposit it into the ground far away from the house. The thing about gutters though is that they tend to get clogged quite easily. Leaves and other debris will get caught in the vertical pipes as well as in the collector runners that line the roof. They need to be cleaned regularly.

Properly functioning gutters keep the roof well drained and ensure that the basement doesn’t get inundated. Wet walls and foundations can cause structural failures, so it is an absolute must that your gutters are clean and functioning at their best throughout the year, more so in the wet season. The wetness that remains in the gutters and pipes, if there is no way for water to spout out will become a breeding ground for mould, insects, and other pests.

It seems easy enough, but you are better off getting professional help with the gutter cleaning than attempting to clean it yourself. Modern gutters have a number of things that you may not know how to clean by yourself and you might end up damaging the functioning of the gutter. Safety is another concern. Most people are either blissfully unaware, or have no real safety equipment that goes into gutter cleaning. Falling off a ladder is no joke. According to a 2016 Public Health Association of Australia report, there are almost 5,000 hospital admissions across Australia every year with serious injuries. So leave it to the professionals.

Cleaning gutters is a pennies operation while replacements are measured in dollars. So make sure you get your gutters thoroughly flushed out before the rainy season.