If you are planning to hire a pressure washer to clean the exterior of your home, you should pay special attention to the gutters. Wondering what you need to keep in mind? Here are some tips to help.
1. Tighten gutters before starting.
The stream of water coming out of a pressure washer can be strong enough to knock loose gutters that are not correctly attached to your home. Before pressure washing, make sure to tighten any loose gutters. Consider removing downspouts and replacing them when you are done.
2. Hire a special attachment to clean your gutters.
A special attachment can make cleaning your gutters simple and easy, and best of all, these attachments allow you to clean your gutters while standing on the ground below. Gutter cleaning attachments usually consist of a long curved pole, and they are much more effective than trying to clean your gutters with a standard pressure washing nozzle. At the top of the pole, a multi-directional nozzle sprays water into the gutters to push debris out of them.
3. Consider wearing safety gear when pressure washing gutters.
If you decide to pressure wash your gutters, you may want to wear a rain jacket and a construction helmet to be on the dry and safe side. As the pressurised water hits leaves and other debris in the gutters, it forces them out. Unfortunately, as water and debris fly into the air, they may hit you.
4. Clean the gutters first.
Always plan to clean the gutters before pressure washing the rest of the house. The debris that flies out of the gutters may settle onto the side of the house, and if you clean the house first, the siding may end up getting dirty as you clean the gutters. As you clean the gutters, watch for water dripping out of the gutters in odd spots—that indicates that you have leaks you may want to fix.
5. Clean downspouts.
Even if you decide against pressure washing your gutters, you can still pressure wash your downspouts. You don't need a special attachment to clean them. Simply, lay them on the ground and, using a standard attachment, push water through the downspout to remove any debris. Then, attach the downspout to your home .
If you want more tips on what to keep in mind about gutters whilst pressure washing your home, talk with a cleaning professional.
