Cleaning Your Gutters
Clogged gutters in your office or home may result in water damage and costly repairs by holding both water and debris. Gutters are often neglected because of the cost of hiring a professional, yet as most people do not know how to pressurewash gutters properly. We asked Zach from a professional commercial pressure washing company in Houston, TX, Hotshot Pressure Washing to give us a few tips that may help the newbie when it comes to taking this task on by themselves.
Preparation
Any operations that involve heights and slippery grounds put you and those around you at significant risk. As such, it is important to stand on solid footing in a stable ground and ensure you have balance.
During pressure washing, your eyes should be protected using safety goggles recommended by the manufacturer of the pressure washer machine. Similarly, your ears should be protected as well especially if the pressure washer is powered by gasoline.
Electric powered pressure washers pose a greater risk to you if the connections come into contact with water. In addition to avoiding connections on moist ground, ensure that your hands are dry when touching electric connections.
As a rule, gasoline powered machines should not be operated in areas with insufficient ventilation. When cleaning gutters indoors, ensure the windows and doors are open and that the exhaust faces main openings.
You should also note that the best time to undertake the cleaning of your gutters is during late summer or the spring. Finally, ensure that the spray does not come into contact with electrical installations, people, or animals.
Cleaning Procedure
To avoid any damages to your home exterior, ensure that you calibrate the pressure washer according to the manufacturer’s manual regarding the spray setting. It should also be inclusive of details such as the distance between the tip and the surface of the gutter.
At first, you will need to apply the detergent on the drain surface. In the application, set the pressure washer to low pressure and ensure that every desired portion of the gutter is sufficiently covered by the detergent. Most pressure washers are detergent-specific, and your choice of soap should be guided by the manual.
After application, allow the detergent to remain on the surface for few minutes. Proceed by rinsing it off and re-wetting it later to avoid leaving the gutter dry.
Disengage the detergent supply after you are satisfied that the detergent is well applied. Readjust the pressure washer by increasing the pressure. A high-pressure spray pattern works well with the gutter surface since most of the debris stick on it.
After the high-pressure operation, rinse the gutter surfaces with clean water so as to reduce the chances of streak and spot formation aided by grime, the detergent, and water.
In overhead cleaning activities, the spray should always be pointed ahead. Cleaning cost increases the risks of drips and spray-back.
More often than not, you may need assistance from another person. When putting water down one side of the gutter, a second person should be listening on the opposite end to confirm that the channel has been cleared.
In cases where the debris is too much, you may wash it down in the direction of the sprout. Considering the directional implications ensures that you will only be required to spray water once from the top.
When the gutter is filled with water, simply unplug the downspout. Thus, you will avoid creating a massive mess when you are cleaning the rest of the drain.
Pressure washing your gutters can be both cheap and safe by achieving the right combination of equipment, guidance, and skill.
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