Is your home ready for whatever Melbourne’s hyperbolic weather is going to throw at you? Is your home ‘Melbourne-ready? Gutters should be cleaned at least once a year, more often if you have many trees around your home and if you have neglected to clean your gutters recently, then it’s time to do it now, before the autumn build up clogs your gutters and causes damage to your property, Cleaning the gutters and top of downpipes is one thing but leaving debris in your gutters for longer periods isn’t good for the structure either.
It’s completely possible to clean your gutters yourself but what are the pros and cons of DIY gutter cleaning?
How to clean your own gutters
Perhaps you’re wondering ‘should I clean my own gutters?’ The answer to that is up to you. Here is what’s involved in DIY gutter cleaning.
You will need
- A tall ladder
- The necessary tools and appliances
- Gloves
- To ensure you have taken the necessary precautions to keep yourself safe
- working at heights experience – A lot of people think they are fine at heights until its to late.
What are the risks of DIY Gutter cleaning?
While DIY gutter cleaning is a great option because it means you can do it on your own schedule, save yourself a bit of cash and clean as often as you like, there are negatives that come along with it.
DIY gutter cleaning can be dangerous. In most circumstances, to clean your gutters, you’ll need to climb a tall ladder, even for a one-story property. The higher the house, the greater the risk and we’ve all seen carefree friends and neighbours climbing ladders that are not suited for the job which can be incredibly dangerous. According to the stats, 5 Australians, usually 5 men, die every year from climbing ladders (source) safety should be your number one priority when it comes to working at heights.
Not only is DIY gutter cleaning dangerous, it creates a lot of gunk and mess. You could also risk damaging your gutters or potentially miss existing damage. A professional gutter and roof cleaning specialist will have seen thousands of roofs and will be able to spot any weak points or existing damage that you might miss. This could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in the future by preventing any water damage to your home.
It’s also time consuming and means you will spend hours in the Melbourne winter cleaning out cold, rotting leaves we find what takes an average home owner a whole weekend we can get done in an hour or two.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Cheap/Free (just time) | Dangerous |
| Work on your schedule | You risk damaging your gutters |
| Clean them as often as you’d like | You risk missing damage or faults in your gutters |
| Get some exercise | Messy |
| Time consuming | |
| Cold and sometimes rainy |
If you hire a professional gutter cleaning service they can attend your home at a time that works for you. They will use a high-powered vacuum cleaning tool that will take the debris away from your home so there’s no mess for you to clean up. And this can all be completed quickly, efficiently and by a fully insured company.
So – should I clean my own gutters?
The answer to this question really comes down to personal choice. You need to weigh up the pros and cons of DIY gutter cleaning and decide if it’s the right option for you.
We hope that you got some value from this guide. If you want a gutter cleaning specialist service provider in Melbourne to inspect your roof and clean the gutters, contact PorterVac today.
How do I clean my gutters at home?
For DIY gutter cleaning you will need: a tall ladder, the necessary tools and appliances, gloves and to ensure you have taken the necessary precautions to keep yourself safe.
What are the risks of DIY gutter cleaning?
To clean your own gutters you’ll need to climb a tall ladder, even for a one-story property. The higher the house, the greater the risk. It also creates a lot of gunk and mess. You could risk damaging your gutters or potentially miss existing damage.
