Depending on the size of your house, cleaning out your gutters can take anywhere between one to four hours.Â
"You just need a ladder, bucket, sponge, and water hose," said Tom Hamel, owner of Reno Window Cleaning.Â
He says checking on your gutters is a necessity this time of year. Everything from dust, to pine needles, and water adds weight and puts pressure on your gutters.Â
"You can have substantial damage to the facial board and the water can creep under the shingles and cause water damage and even cause black mold," added Hamel.
According to the folks at Home Depot you want to check your gutters at least twice a year.Â
"You do not want to wait 'til the last minute especially when we're having a storm coming up. You want to make sure you're getting up there, clearing the debris and keeping those gutters nice," said Randy Dugan.
It's best to first scoop out the debris, then hose everything down through the spout. A sponge will keep everything from back building. Â
Hamel also recommends getting a good hook for your bucket. With more snow and rain this year, Tom's been pretty busy.
"A lot more people have called in and have problems with the rain gear and we take care of it for them," said Hamel.
Oftentimes people call for help when it's too late. He says it's better to clean your gutters when everything is dry.
"You can get damage to the actual gutters. Stuff can come up off the roof. Get it to detach or get drips in the actual system," said Dugan.
If you don't want to spend extra money on a scooper for the leaves you can always use an empty milk jug, by cutting off the bottom portion at an angle.Â
