Fish Window Cleaning Blog

Gutter Cleaning Services: DIY or Hire a Pro? Know the Risks.
Posted on Tuesday, June 30th 2020

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No one enjoys spending a perfectly good afternoon cleaning gunk out of the gutters. However, it is an important piece of home maintenance. Not cleaning your gutters can do a lot of damage to your home, and yet cleaning the gutters yourself can put you in danger.

FISH Window Cleaner Using Tool to Clean Gutters on LadderGutters need to be cleaned at least twice a year. Gutters collect rainwater from the roof and direct it away from the foundation of your home. A clogged gutter could cause a backup of water which could potentially build up around the foundation. Depending on the amount of water, it could then leak into your basement or crawl space. Left unchecked, this could lead to costly foundation issues and even mold.

Clogged gutters can also damage your roof line – putting a strain on the boards, called fascia, which support the gutters. Rotted wood and insect damage go hand in hand with neglected gutters too.

Now that we know why clean gutters matter. Let’s examine the reasons why a do-it-yourself gutter cleaning can be risky.


Fear the Fall

This one is a no-brainer. Anytime you climb a ladder for any reason you put yourself in danger. Of course, falling from a step stool while reaching in the upper cabinet for a box of cereal is one thing. Falls from 10-feet in the air (average roof line height of a single-story home) or worse, 20-feet (average roof line height of a two-story home) can do some serious bodily harm.

It’s easy to slip and fall on from a ladder, especially when it is unstable. Even if someone is holding the bottom of the ladder, the action of reaching and leaning over to one side can send you tumbling to the ground below.


Shock Factor

Shockingly enough, falls are not the only risk related to ladders. Using a ladder can put you in danger of electrocution. The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that people can be shocked or electrocuted if a ladder comes in contact with electrical wires around the home. Even if you position your ladder away from a wire entry in your home, a sudden gust of wind or shift in position could cause the ladder to slide into an electrical line.

 

Gutter Germs

Pigeon on Window Sill

Think about all the birds, animals and rodents that use your roof as a rest stop. Nature can be nasty. These critters can leave behind a lot of bacteria-laden fecal matter which can end up in the gutter. Without the proper protection and gear, you are putting yourself at risk of getting sick every time you reach in there to remove the debris – and not just due to the droppings.
Decaying plant matter in your gutters can also release mold spores and fungi when disturbed. This can cause an allergic reaction or respiratory issues. It can also irritate your hands, nose, ears, and eyes, resulting in rashes or worse.

Professional gutter cleaning service providers already have the proper protection. 

You can avoid all those dangers by hiring a professional gutter cleaning service, such as Fish Window Cleaning (window cleaning is in our name, but we take care of gutters, too). The pros at FISH are trained in ladder safety. They have the proper debris removal tools and personal protective equipment to clean your gutters properly, safely, and efficiently.

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