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You know it’s important to keep your rain gutters clean—an improperly cleaned gutter can lead to blocks and damage to your roof, walls, or foundation—but you hate having to do it.  Cleaning your gutters can be a stressful task—and, if it isn’t done correctly, it can even be a dangerous one.

If you don’t want to leave the task in the hands of Utah rain gutter professionals, you should at least always keep a few safety precautions in mind as you prepare to do your semi-annual gutter cleaning.

Ladder Safety

The most important aspect of gutter cleaning safety is to make sure that you are following proper ladder safety instructions.  Government and hospital statistics show that thousands of people injure themselves on ladders every year, so it is important to follow these steps from OSHA any time you are going to be using a ladder:

• Be sure the ladder is in proper working condition—a wobbly ladder or one that is missing some of its parts should not be used
• Wear shoes with thick soles (to prevent foot injury) and a lot of traction (to avoid slipping)
• When placing the ladder, be sure to put it on ground that is firm and level
• Always check for overhead power lines before climbing the ladder—even if you think it isn’t electrified, you should always stay several feet away from any lines
• Follow the “3 points of contact” rule—that is, make sure three parts of your body (two hands and a foot or two feet and a hand) are touching the ladder at all times
• Move the ladder rather than trying to overextend yourself and risking a fall while trying to reach that far end of the gutter

Cleaning your gutter doesn’t have to be a dangerous task, and by following these simple instructions you can greatly reduce the risk of injury.  And if you want to save yourself the stress of cleaning your rain gutters, hire your Utah rain gutter specialists!  

 

When considering updates to your home, replacing the gutters might not be the first idea that comes to mind. However, gutters can be a real problem if they are not properly cared for. There are some serious issues that might affect your home if you put off gutter maintenance. Here a list of things that should set red flags off and let you know that it might be time to replace your old gutters.

Finding water streaks on your home’s siding.

• ·         Water streaks are a good sign to tell you that there is a hole somewhere in your gutter. If the streaks are rusty, you know that rust is the culprit. The hole in your gutter will cause gallons of water to drip onto your siding and gallons of water will pool around your foundation, which could result in a soggy basement. You should replace your rusted gutter and use rustproof paint on your gutters every one to two years.

Discovering pooling water

• ·         If water pools can be found anywhere near the foundation of your home, your gutter is not fulfilling its purpose in some way or another. If the pools are underneath a part of your gutter that is sagging, replacing the hooks might be the only fix necessary.

Missing gutter sections or loose nails

• ·         If pieces of your gutter are going bad, you really need to take immediate action. Replacing your gutter system will stop your landscape from becoming washed out, prevent mold from growing around your home, and help divert basement flooding.

Though the gutters don’t seem like important pieces of equipment for your home, they can help to preserve the value of your home and will prevent troublesome problems from becoming costly. For any other gutter replacement questions, talk to the experts!

-Kassandra Konecny

We rarely think of rain gutters as an interesting topic of conversation to trot out at cocktail parties, but they’re more fascinating than you may think! Don’t believe us? Here are seven rain gutter facts for your entertainment:

1. The rain gutter as we know it today was invented in the early 1900s.
2. Prior to the 19th century, rain gutters were made from wood. Today, we can find them in plastic, aluminum, and steel, and most North American rain gutters are seamless.
3. Ancient Greeks and Romans used gargoyles on their buildings to direct rain away from the important parts of the building. Many believe gargoyles were also used to ward off evil spirits.
4. The standing water in your gutter, if improperly installed, is a breeding ground for mosquitos.
5. Lots of words rhyme with gutter, but none rhyme with eave trough (which is a more technical term for rain gutters).
6. Regular gutter cleaning can kill you, if you’re not careful! According to the CPSC, there are 164,000 injuries in the U.S. every year related to ladders.
7. Just ask a Utah rain gutter technician: hundreds, or maybe thousands, of children’s toys are found in gutters annually! You’ll mostly find balls up there, but also Frisbees, badminton birdies, Barbies, toy cars, and more! How they all get up there, we’re not sure.

It’s interesting tidbits like these that make our employees not only great Utah rain gutter technicians, but scintillating conversation partners as well!

If your Utah rain gutters are painted, the paint will probably wear thin over time, so you’ll need to touch them up periodically. The process is fairly straightforward as long as you give yourself plenty of time to finish the job. This is how it works:

1. First, remove leaves and debris from the gutters. Then, use a paint scraper to scrape off loose paint, holding it at a 45-degree angle and working its edge under the paint.
2. Use mild soap, water, and a scrub brush to clean the gutters. Go back over the gutters with the scraper, removing any loose paint exposed while cleaning. Give the gutters some time to dry.
3. Take a steel-bristled brush and brush the gutters, removing remaining rust and flakes of paint. Brush the rust and loose paint vigorously. Use a damp rag to wipe away debris. Sand uneven areas with medium grit sandpaper.
4. Take a clear acrylic bonding or oil-based primer and apply the primer with a good quality brush. Avoid brush strokes to the extent possible. After applying one or two coats of primer (make sure you allow each coat to dry completely before applying the next). Give the primer 24 hours to dry.
5. Paint the gutters with outdoor acrylic paint (most paint or home improvement stores carry 100% acrylic paints). Apply multiple thin coats rather than one thick coat, since thin coats are more durable and will provide a smoother finish. Give each coat plenty of time to dry before applying the next.

Utah gets - on average - 15 inches of rainfall a year. That’s fewer than all but seven states, though it puts Utah smack dab in the middle of the other mountain west states. It’s certainly not the desert climate of an Arizona or Nevada, but it also places Utah ahead of states like Wyoming and Montana.

Western states have always struggled with water issues, yet over the years they have been quite innovative in developing methods of water storage and conservation. Dams dot western rivers, creating reservoirs of water. Most of us look at these manmade lakes as great recreation outlets, and various watercraft take over the lakes throughout the summer months. But their true value lies in the fact that they act as huge natural water barrels, holding onto the water that otherwise would rush on by with the rivers and streams. It is these reservoirs that allow farming to thrive in Utah.

This water storage and usage system not only works well for farmers, but can be a boon for Utah’s backyard gardening as well. Instead of damming rivers to form lakes, Utahans can capture the water that runs out of their rain gutters. If Utah rain gutters were set up to save water, it could amount to over 8,000 gallons of water a year. The money savings are obvious. Also of note is that often rain water is better for plants than water from the garden hose. Perhaps best of all is how easy it can be to get started. A simple water collection barrel at the end of a gutter down-spout will get the ball rolling. Equally important is to monitor your rain gutters, keeping them clean and functioning normally. It’s a simple system which can bring incredible results to every Utah home.