Cleaning and Repairing Gutters

Learn how to properly clean and repair your gutters

Pre-Clean Gutters
Climb a ladder and clean the junk out of the gutters. Make sure to pay attention to the downspout. Leaves and debris can clog them and water won't drain properly. Along with mildew and mud, you'll end up with sagging gutters. 

Check for Leaks
​Check for any leaks, including holes in the gutters and cracked caulking in the seams. Use an old chisel to scrape the old caulking out and dry the area thoroughly. Use new bead silicon sealing to keep water from getting behind the gutters and rotting the boards.



Check Gutter Spikes
Check all the spikes that are supposed to go through the gutter, through the fascia board and into the rafter behind it. It's a good idea to invest in new gutter spikes so the gutters are securely fastened once again.

Check Rivets
During this inspection, check out the rivets on the downspout. Frequently they'll be loose or will have dropped out completely. You can use a rivet gun to secure them anew. 

Clean Gutters With Pressure Washer

Once you've finished with the mechanics, begin cleaning the gutters. The best way to do this is with a pressure washer. Follow the pressure washer instructions to a T. A pressure washer won't hurt the gutters provided you've secured the gutters with screws or new spikes. The real key is to avoid hitting the gutters at too high an angle or you'll blow the shingles off with a high-pressure stream of water. 

It is always a safe and sometimes a more cost effective option to simply hire a local roofer to do gutter cleaning, repair and pressure washing, like Boyd Construction Co Inc in Washington DC, to save yourself the hassle and potential misshaps.