How to clean a gutters and drains

In spring and late autumn, garbage accumulates in the drainage elements of suburban housing – leaves, cones, tree branches. If they are not removed in time, the drainage system will fail, and the water will begin to wash away the foundation of the house. There are several ways to solve this problem.

The standard drainage system consists of gutter trays with funnels and pipes of various configurations. A properly installed gutter has been in operation for decades and does not require special maintenance. But only on one condition – if the house is not located in the forest or is not surrounded by tall trees. Leaves and needles are the main enemies of the drainage system.

Different roofs – different gutters

There are two main types of roofs – flat with an internal or external drain and sloping with an external drain. When installing flat roof gutters, special protective lattice caps are installed on the funnels to collect leaves and various debris. They are called: leaf catchers. These devices hold the leaves and prevent them from getting into the drainpipes. The space around the funnel must be cleaned periodically by hand.

With sloped roof drains, everything is much more complicated. Leaves, needles and tree seeds immediately fall into long catchment trays and remain there. Some of them are washed into the drainpipes during heavy rains. The rest of the garbage accumulates in the gutters and settles firmly there. As a result, their working section gradually decreases, and water does not go into the system, but overflows over the edge, washing away the walls and foundation. Further – worse. Drainage tanks become heavy, their fastenings do not withstand, and the entire structure collapses down. Therefore, if your house stands among centuries-old oaks and pines, its drainage system must be checked and cleaned in a timely manner.

The drains of one-story buildings are easily cleaned from the stairs with improvised means – brushes, scoops, etc. But with houses with two and three floors, problems can arise: it is more difficult and dangerous to work at a height of 7-8 meters. Some builders cover the elements of the gutter system with special nets, but the effectiveness of such a solution is extremely low. Needles and tree seeds still accumulate, and ice also appears on the nets. Book a professional gutter cleaning service https://windowwashingexpert.com/gutter-cleaning/gutters-drains-northbrook/.

Modern methods of cleaning gutters and drains

For many years of operation of buildings, it is necessary to regularly clean the gutters and drains from debris of various sizes.

It can be done with a garden hose and nozzles with sprinklers, which are easily washed off organic debris under strong water pressure.

To do this, again, you have to climb the stairs to the roof level. However, this method is only good for removing dirt, sand and other fine particles. If leaves or branches have accumulated in the system, this method can be used only after preliminary mechanical cleaning, otherwise the drainpipes will clog.

Sometimes even high-pressure car washes are used, but they have one big minus – dirty splashes fall on the walls and roof eaves and stain them. If your home has white or light-colored walls, then this technology can do more harm than good.

Another way is blowing with a powerful air stream using garden blowers. Special units with long pipes are also produced, which allow you not even to go upstairs. Unfortunately, such tools are almost never found in retail sales, and they must be ordered from special catalogs.

In addition, robotic vacuum cleaners are used to remove debris from the gutters. These devices independently move along the gutter, clearing debris and removing dirt with the help of special brushes. Thanks to the built-in recognition system, smart devices are able to independently assess the degree of contamination and calculate the required number of passes to achieve perfect cleanliness. The robot can even cope with wet leaves, while being in trays filled with water. The only problem is that first you need to somehow raise it. And if your house has a complex roof and a dozen trays, physical exercises will turn out to be quite good.

Still, the easiest and cheapest way to maintain gutters and downspouts is to use a variety of DIY tools. If there is no desire to mess around, a similar tool can always be purchased at a specialized store.

As already mentioned, you can independently clean the gutters and gutters of houses with no more than two floors. In other cases, it’s better to play it safe and contact a professional gutter cleaning company https://windowwashingexpert.com/gutter-cleaning/gutters-drains-winnetka/. Specialists have experience working at heights and professional equipment. This will make it safer and more reliable.