Gutter cleaning: DIY Tips

Posted on October 24, 2014January 17, 2018

Use this checklist before you tackle your DIY gutter cleaning.
At its best, gutter cleaning is a tedious and dirty task. At worst it can be downright dangerous. A slight misstep or over-reach and you could end up with more than a bruised ego.

Consider that falls are among the leading causes of unintentional home injury and death; with nearly 1500 deaths per year according to a 2003 Statistics Canada report.

“Knowing how to use household tools and equipment safely should be the first thing you consider before starting any project if you are going to do it yourself,” said Al Johnson, WorkSafeBC’s Regional Director for Construction. If you are unfamiliar with correct ladder usage take a moment and familiarize yourself with the basic steps for safe ladder use.

DO
• Asses your home. The challenge for every cleaning project is access. How will you get to all the areas? Do you have multiple or inset rooflines? Dormers? Is your home on a slope?
• Have the right equipment. Wooden ladders, and step ladders are not recommended because they are often wobbly. Opt for extension ladders if possible.
• Wear gloves. Protect the hands from scratches and exposure to bird & animal waste.
• Rake off the roof. Clear the valleys first otherwise in the next rainfall this material will end up in your gutters.

DON’T

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• Over reach from the ladder. You’re won’t save much time by reaching for that extra six inches. Climb down the ladder and reposition.
• Walk on the roof. As tempting as it may be, roofs can be slippery.
• Use metal tools inside the gutter. Scraping the gutter can introduce the area to rust.
• Lean the ladder on the gutter it will cause dents. Use ladder bumpers and set against the roof.

Hire a Pro
Hesitant on doing this yourself? Consider a professional gutter cleaner. get three estimates but don’t go for the cheapest one. The guy with the 1980 pick up truck and a rock bottom price could possibly do a good job, but might not have insurance. RULE #1, make sure whomever you hire has insurance. If someone takes a tumble off a ladder and is not covered, you as the homeowner are liable.

I had the IMAGINE team clean my fabric awnings on my home. They returned my email very promptly and set up an appt to give me an estimate for the cost of the work. Initial contact to arrival was within a few days. After that, they provided me with an estimate that I felt was very reasonable and told them to proceed with the work. Again from the time I gave the go ahead to the service appointment, it was all within a week. Very efficient. Two men arrived and carried out the work within 1.5 hours. They were pleasant, knowledgeable and professional. I will have them return when my awnings will be in need of service again. I would recommend this company as my experience with them was 100%. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

– D.D. (Home Owner, Burnaby)

After reviewing several contractors’ proposals we hired IMAGINE Maintenance to perform the exterior window cleaning services at our newest facility on Hastings St. Due to a lack of anchors on the roof, preventing rope-style window cleaning, the previous company was only able to clean the first four floors of our six-floor building. They presented us with a proposal that utilized aerial lifts and ensured that every window would be properly cleaned. Also, their proposal included relevant insurance and WCB documentation, combined with a price that met our budget. I was confident we made the right choice. The work was scheduled for a weekend when we are less busy. The crew did a great job and they even managed to clean the difficult to access windows in the alley. I would not hesitate to recommend IMAGINE Maintenance, we have already booked them for next year!

– Union Gospel Mission

We’ve been using IMAGINE Maintenance to do the annual top to bottom high dusting and window cleaning at our North Vancouver retail shopping center for 5 years. They have a proven track record for understanding our needs, planning ahead, staffing appropriately, and coming to the job prepared. They’ve proven time and again that they can meet our expectations on time and have provided valuable insight to the condition of our building above what we thought we already knew. Their clean uniforms and pleasant demeanour make them easy to identify and communicate with and their approach to customer service has made it very easy to sort out any discrepancies with minimal fuss. I have no reservations about recommending IMAGINE Maintenance to manage any property cleaning project.

– Lonsdale Quay Market

IMAGINE Maintenance has been maintaining the windows at our flagship location since our grand opening in 2010. Not only was it important to us that our chosen vendor be competitively priced, reliable, insured and with good references, but also to provide a plan for safe work around our inventory. IMAGINE has delivered on every promise and will continue to be our trusted window cleaning vendor.

– A.K. (Controller, Ferrari Maserati of Vancouver)

Our commercial building is comprised of mixed use tenancies which consist mainly of high-end retail. Thus, the appearance of this area is extremely important. We recently contracted IMAGINE Maintenance to clean the awnings at the retail level and found their work to be coordinated efficiently and completed in a timely manner which reduced any inconvenience to our Tenants. Their cleaning methods made the awnings appear almost brand new. We would definitely recommend this company.

– Warrington PCI (Property Management)

Our commercial building is comprised of mixed use tenancies which consist of mainly high-end retail. Thus, appearance is extremely important. We recently contracted IMAGINE Maintenance to clean the awnings at the retail level and found their work to be coordinated efficiently and completed in a timely manner which reduced any inconvenience for our tenants. Their cleaning methods made the awnings appear almost brand new. We would definitely recommend this company.

– S.N. (Property Development Group)

We began our relationship with IMAGINE Maintenance in 2013 when we started piecing out the more complex components of our maintenance projects to outside companies. We soon recognized the value in their service and their ability to adapt to our clients’ strict security, record keeping, and trades policies. They have had challenging logistics to work with and deadlines to meet and have proven to be more than capable. They conduct themselves professionally and with an emphasis on safety, which is of utmost concern for our organization. We continue to rely on IMAGINE when large challenging projects emerge and have every confidence in their ability to deliver. I recommend they be given serious consideration for your project.

– Compass Group Canada – Eurest Services