Gutters help protect your home by collecting rainwater on the roof and routing it to the ground through the downspout. In doing so, gutters prevent water damage to your house.

Rainwater will overflow on a clogged gutter and pour over the side of your house resulting to potential damage to windows, doors, siding and foundations. To prevent water damage from a clogged gutter and avoid expensive repairs that could reach thousands of dollars, regularly clean your gutter to keep them debris-free.

We outlined a simple guide for you to follow in gutter cleaning Seattle:

Things You Will Need For Your Work

• Work or Rubber Gloves
• Sturdy Extension Ladder
• Garden Hose
• Plumber’s Snake
• Trowel or Gutter Scoop
• Bucket or Plastic Tarp

Cleaning the Gutter

1. Wear long-sleeved shirts and heavy work gloves to prevent injury to yourself especially your hands. Sharp objects or metal parts are often lodged inside a clogged gutter.
2. Clean the roof of leaves and other debris before working on the gutter so that next time it rains, these potential clogging materials do not wash into the gutter, effectively doubling your work.
3. Use a handy garden trowel to scoop out debris, dirt and leaves in the gutter. Start working at the drain outlet on the lowest portion of the gutter. The debris is easier to remove when it is damp and not dried or encrusted.
4. Dump the debris on a bucket or plastic tarp to spare your lawn from dirt and avoid cleaning up later.
5. After scooping out the dirt, wash the gutter using a garden hose. Clean the entire length of the gutter, this time working towards the drain outlet. Check the elbow of the gutter or curved portion of the downspout to make sure there are no clogs. For hard-to-remove encrusted dirt, you can use a stiff brush to scrub it off.
6. If water still does not freely flow down the downspout and drain pipe, flush water down using a hose. For persistent dirt, use a plumber’s snake to remove the debris.

How Often Should You Clean Your Gutter?

Clean your gutter at least once a year. A better option is to clean it twice a year preferably in spring and autumn. If you have overhanging trees near your roof, twice a year gutter cleaning is recommended. You should also clean your gutter after the occurrence of big storms. Dirt, leaves and other debris could have been blown into your gutter by the strong winds.

Attics normally function as an extra living room or bedroom. They also often serve as storage area to keep our collectibles, souvenirs, old pictures and just about everything that is valuable to us.

Attic windows are normally installed on attics and serve three basic purposes – ventilation, lighting and aesthetic appeal. Different attic window types are available, including rose windows, top-hinged windows and skylights.

One of the most popular attic window type are the skylights because they allow more natural light to penetrate into the room compared to other window types. During the winter months, they heat up attic space by funneling the sun’s heat inside.

Rose windows are circular in shape decorated with stained glass. Top-hinged windows are also popular because they provide not only natural lighting and ventilation but access outside the roof in case of emergencies.

Whichever type of window you have installed on your attic, time comes when you have to clean and service them to keep them in optimal condition. Below are the safe ways to clean your attic windows.

Practical Tips in Washing Attic Windows

• Use a window cleaner with an extension pole to reach high window panes.
• Products designed for cleaning high windows are available, including a telescopic window washer. It comes equipped with squeegee, microfiber and telescopic handle that stretch your reach to clean those hard-to-reach areas.
• Use a high-quality squeegee with new and sharp rubber blade. Replace the blade frequently or as soon as you notice streaks on the p
• Clean water is generally sufficient to clean window panes. Soft water is very good for cleaning windows. Non-abrasive ordinary household cleaners may also be used.
• Use a soft, lint-free cloth, chamois, non-abrasive sponge or leather and window squeegee.
• Avoid touching the silicon part of the window assembly to prevent damaging it.
• Avoid using abrasive cleaning products that could damage the pane. Sharp objects, including pieces of jewelry should not come in contact with the pane.
• Avoid using chemical products for the window pane.
• Never forcibly wipe off dirt from the pane without first using water to clean it off.
• If you are cleaning a roof surface near the attic window, be sure to cover the window pane with protective plastic or similar materials to prevent damage from abrasive materials.
• Remove leaves and other debris from the flashing to ensure the free flow of water.
• Remove snow and ice that settled on the pane to allow water to drain off the window.

Gutters play an important part in preventing water from getting into your house. They protect the walls by preventing the buildup of water on the roof and leading it down the drain. To function as they are meant to be, gutters have to be free from obstruction that could prevent water from moving to the downspout. Gutter cleaning service tips will be discussed in this article to help you protect it from wear and tear, plus to avoid structural damage of the home.

Several methods are available to keep dirt from accumulating in the gutters, including regular inspection and cleaning of debris found on the roof and gutters. Another way to prevent the accumulation of dirt in the gutters is through the installation of covers with distinct designs to keep them dirt and debris-free. Different devices, each with their own method of protecting gutters from dirt, are available in the market.

Regular Cleaning

You must regularly clean the gutters to prevent the buildup of debris and other materials that could block the passage of water. Through time dirt, dust, leaves and twigs accumulate on the gutters and act as obstruction to the free flow of water. Regular cleaning helps ensure that your gutters remain obstruction-free and work properly by guiding water to the drain.

Gutter Screen

This is one of the most common and popular choices to guard against gutter dirt and debris. Gutter screen is a fairly simple device. A screen is placed on top of the gutters, which catches most solid objects such as leaves, twigs and other materials but still allows water to pass through. Regular inspection is required since some leaves could get stuck on the screen, which you will have to manually remove.

Gutter Hood

This device is made from hard materials such as aluminum, PVC or vinyl with small openings to allow water into the gutters from the roof. The hood, which covers the entire length of the gutter, provides more protection against objects since these cannot pass through the solid material of the gutter hood. Different designs of the holes or slits where water passes through create hybrid versions of this device, all of which are effective against the accumulation of dirt.

Gutter Filter

A relatively new technology in gutter protection, this device requires the installation of a membranous material inside the gutters. The filter allows water to pass through it but keeps dirt and debris on top. When the rain stops the materials caught on top of the membrane dry up and are blown away by the wind.