Far Western Texas, Texas Home Improvement

Many homeowners clean their gutters each year to properly maintain their homes. What you may not realize is that most Far Western Texas gutter systems should be cleaned 3-4 times a year.

How to Properly Clean Far Western Texas Gutters

On the average, most people who own homes in Far Western Texas perform maintenance on their gutters only once a year as a part of maintaining their home. What is generally not apparent is that most Far Western Texas gutters need to be cleaned 3 to 4 times in a year. Optimally, gutter systems should be cleaned with each passing season. Some may ask why gutter systems need to be cleaned so frequently. The reason is because through each season, trees enter a blend of cycles, each of which are liable to clog gutters. In the spring, many trees discard dead twigs and seedlings. Spring is also the best time to study any damages that may have happened during the harsh winter months. During summer, trees are liable to lose leaves from heavy winds and storms. In the early fall, leaves that have fallen early should be cleared to give gutters the ability to have water flowing freely from them. At the end of fall or in the early winter months, leaves and other debris should be properly emptied from the gutter system to prevent the buildup of ice or ice dams in gutter systems before winter comes. If ice is allowed to accumulate in the gutters, they may pull away from the fascia and in a number of cases, come away from the house. Inproper maintenance of gutter systems will lead to clogged gutters or gutter damage and is quite expensive when repairing the damage to homes.

To clean your gutters correctly, use a sturdy ladder and ask a neighbor for assistance. If you do not own a ladder, ask a neighbor if they have one to borrow or consider renting one from a local rental service. Most have them for as little as $40.00 a day. It is important that when using ladders to make sure you avoid trees, electric power lines, and windows. Using a ladder stabilizer is a smart, safe idea to ensure that the ladder does not mar or crush your gutters or slip while you are doing the cleaning. Bear in mind that your safety is way more valuable than the cleanliness of your gutter system, so make sure you ask friends or neighbors to help you out. Many deaths occur each year because of falls and electrical shock while working on and using ladders.

Gutter screens should be checked as well as guards to ensure that they are not damaged or blocked with leaves and branches. When this is the case, the guards will not shelter the gutters if water is not able to enter properly and only run over them. This makes the gutter system fairly useless, even when the gutters themselves are clear. Gutter guards should be lifted to avoid damaging them, eaves or debris should then be cleared under them and then the guards should be reassembled. If this is done, water will be able to run over them and working as they should. Check the downspouts to make sure they have screens or guards near the top and remove debris from these downspouts as well. A water hose can be used to clear any heavily clogged downspouts. It is important to replace any damaged gutter or downspout screens. In the process of cleaning gutters, check every fastener to make sure they are properly attached. A hammer can generally be used to do this and in some cases a screwdriver as well.

Over a period of time, you may find that the spikes that attach the aluminum to the fascia board have loosened. A hammer can be used to either drive the loose spikes back into place or replace them with longer or stronger ones for added support. The pitch changes when gutters become loose and the water tend to flow over in lower areas. When securing the fasteners, check the roof shingles to see if any are gone and if bare nails are exposed, and finally if the pipe gaskets have any cracks.