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How clogged gutters are cleaned before winter

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The team at <a href="https://gutterguyz.com">Gutter Guyz</a> recommends cleaning your <keyword id="1272407" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="gutters">gutters</keyword> at least twice a year.</li><li>They say it's important to be proactive about <keyword id="1611543" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gutter-Cleaning">gutter cleaning</keyword> to prevent serious damage to a home.</li><li>The busiest gutter-cleaning season is the fall.</li></ul><p><em>Following is a transcript of the <keyword id="21654" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="video">video</keyword>.</em></p><p><strong>Broden Hill: </strong>I'm Broden, and I own a business in Connecticut called The Gutter Guyz. Today I'm going to show you how to clean gutters with wet and dry debris. So, when we clean a gutter with wet debris, nine times out of 10, we want to clean it by hand. The reason why is when it's wet, it typically is very muddy and there's a lot of what we call shingle dust or grit in the gutters, and it's literally a mud. And when we blow them when they're wet, it makes a muddy mess all over the house. We want to clean them by hand for that reason. So, that is a gutter that is completely jammed with leaves and debris, and the downspout was completely covered. When we released the debris out of the downspout and got that gutter cleaned, all of that rainwater that was in the gutter just started to flow very heavily right down the downspout, as it should.</p><p>So, oftentimes when we do a gutter cleaning, not only do we find leaves, but we find plants so big that we actually call them <keyword id="6355381" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trees">trees</keyword>, sometimes, growing right out of a gutter. We're actually pulling out a big plant, and you can see the whole root system come right out with it. Certain types of trees give off these little things that come off the tree and will grow another tree, and when those land in the gutter, it's a perfect environment for that to grow. It's a classic sign that your gutters have not been cleaned in years. It also puts a significant amount of weight from the whole root system growing in the gutter on the gutter, which in turn will pull that gutter off of the fascia board, which is actually the board behind the gutter that the gutter is mounted to. Wet debris is usually just saturated with water. Water will overflow at the gutter and get into your basement and create cracks in your foundation. Once water does find its way into your basement, it wreaks havoc.</p><p>Here, the water that's flowing out of the downspout at the bottom is the end result that we are looking for. So that water will flow down and out, as it properly should. When we see dry debris, the reason why that debris is dry is because there has not been any rain in the past, I would say, week or so. So when we clean a gutter that has dry debris, oftentimes we will use a hand blower and blow those gutters out, because it does a really good job of just getting everything out of the gutter, whether it be leaves or sticks or curly stuff that comes off in the spring. Depending on the pitch of the roof, we will get on that roof, start our hand blower, and walk across that roofline hand-blowing out all of the debris out of that gutter. Sometimes the debris is very compact and it's thick. That's a classic sign of maybe a couple of years that somebody had not had their gutters cleaned.</p><p>We stick to one type of ladder, and that's an aluminum ladder. The aluminum ladder does conduct electricity, so it's very important we stay away from power lines when we are moving aluminum ladders. We could get severely electrocuted. It's certainly deadly, which is why we mark the power-line areas with flags before we start a gutter cleaning. Because you're looking where you're walking, so you don't look up to see the power lines. So it's very important for us to have the reminder that power lines are there. We will often drop a penny down the downspout just to know that that downspout's free and clear, because we can see and hear it go all the way through and back out at the bottom and we know that we're in good shape.</p><p>The best advice I can give a homeowner is to be proactive, not reactive. Typically when you're reactive, it's too late. Damage has been done, the water may already be in your basement, it may already be in your home, and it's just not a good way to maintain your house. Water is seriously detrimental to your house, and the main cause of water is from your gutters. So if you keep the gutters free and clear and you do consistent cleaning, whether it be two or three times per year, which we recommend, you will never have any issues with water in your basement or ruining your flower beds or rotting out the fascia and soffits of your home. Just stay on top of gutter cleaning.</p>

How gutters are professionally deep cleaned

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spencer Claeys is the owner of <a href="https://pressurewashingbiz.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Northwest Pro Wash</a>. </li><li>He says that power washing, roof and gutter cleaning are easy side hustles. </li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Spencer Claeys, owner of Northwest Pro Wash. It has been edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p>I can tell you that cleaning roofs and gutters is one of the easiest but highest-paying side jobs you can do. I can make more than $1,300 in a day.</p><h2><strong>There is so much demand</strong></h2><div type="image" title="Spencer Claeys with tools." height="1384" width="1038" msid="102778088" hostid="261"></div><p>I've been doing this for about four years now. I got started with basic pressure washing and went door-to-door. I cleaned exteriors like driveways and decks. The business was great, but people kept asking me if I did roofs.<br /><br />Eventually, I decided to give it a shot because the demand was super strong. Ever since, I've been busy.<br /><br />I stopped going door to door during the Covid-19 pandemic. But people still needed their homes maintained, so I ran a Facebook ad with four different services; roof cleaning, gutter cleaning, pressure washing, and roof and gutter combo. The roof and gutter option took off, and I still use Facebook ads to find clients.<br /><br />In Washington State, where I live, we have a massive amount of trees and rain — which means a lot of stuff falling from the sky. The roofs grow moss, and the gutters clog easily. It's the perfect area for this business.</p><h2><strong>The money is great</strong></h2><p>I charged $300 my first time for a full moss treatment and gutter clean. Now I charge double that price for three to four hours of work. I make about $3,000 per week working with one other person. I aimed for $2,000 a week when it was just me. I also usually get a tip between $30 and $100.  </p><p>Before this, I was working at a job for something like $15 an hour. Now I can make hundreds per day. I'm sometimes like, "Holy crap" — what I can make in a day would have taken me weeks before, and I don't even have a boss.<br /><br />Plus, I spend lots of time talking with the client, and we're really just chilling. I work with cool people daily — sometimes, they'll hand me a beer while working. Someone even gave me a bottle of Jack Daniels as a present and I've received a chainsaw, pizza, and other dinners.<br /><br />People really appreciate it when you do a good job. It's a nice feeling when they're grateful, you know you worked hard, and you earned good money.</p><h2><strong>At first I was a little apprehensive</strong></h2><div type="image" title="Spencer Claeys on a roof" height="655" width="1160" msid="102778090" hostid="261"></div><p>I wasn't sure what chemicals to use or what to do at all. I actually looked up how to clean roofs on YouTube on my way to my first job. But I got it done, and now I teach people how to clean roofs on YouTube, so it has come full circle.<br /><br />It only took me a few weeks after that first job to get comfortable with it. It's pretty straightforward, and you don't need to overcomplicate it.<br /><br />Cleaning a roof involves blowing off or brushing off the debris that falls from trees. You also have to treat the roof with some sort of basic chemical (basic as in not acidic because moss and other fungi like acidic environments). Then, you make sure no branches or anything are touching the roof. I use a leaf blower to clean out the gutters. That's basically it.<br /><br />You don't need much equipment: I use a leaf blower, a ladder, and a brush. I also have a soft-wash tank for spraying roofs, but you don't need that to start. You can use a powder treatment instead, like laundry detergent or zinc powder. Either of those are fine.</p><h2><strong>I worked pretty much every day I could</strong></h2><p>I have another person who works with me now. We usually do six days a week on a roof. A couple of roofs per day is manageable.</p><p>I've taken a step back to pursue social media and to coach people on how to build their businesses, but I'm still out there on roofs and picking up cleanings.</p><h2><strong>Some roofs are more difficult than others</strong></h2><p>I've had certain roofs take me days. You should look at the size of the roof and steepness before setting a price. Doing the harder roofs is optional, but they pay better.<br /><br />There have been certain roofs where I look at them, and there's no amount of money they can pay me to get up on it. Some old roofs are too slippery and difficult to walk on.</p><h2><strong>It's a young man's game</strong></h2><p>I'm 27, so I'm not old yet, but roof cleaning is more of a young man's game. Once you get past the age of 40 or 50, you don't want to be up on a ladder. Just be safe. Rope up when you need to, and make sure you have sturdy boots. I've been in this business for years and only heard of one person falling off.</p><p>But if you're a young dude, I don't think there's anything better than just going out and cleaning stuff — it's quick money. If you were to go out right now knocking on doors, you could make $300 to $500 bucks today.<br /><br /><em>If you make money through a lucrative and unique side hustle, email Jenna Gyimesi at <a href="mailto:jgyimesi@insider.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jgyimesi@insider.com</a>.</em></p>

I can make $1,300 a day cleaning roofs and gutters. It's one of the easiest and highest-paying side gigs out there &mdash; here's how I got started.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Bobak Esfandiari adopted eight storm drains through <a href="https://www.insider.com/pink-painted-lady-san-francisco-postcard-row-listed-renovation-photos-2022-6">San Francisco</a>'s Adopt-a-Drain program.</li><li>Volunteers, or "drain daddies" as the local paper calls them, clear drains to help prevent <a href="https://www.insider.com/california-weather-whiplash-floods-drought-getting-worse-atmospheric-rivers-2023-1">flooding</a>.</li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bobak Esfandiari, who cleans eight of San Francisco's 5,990 adopted storm drains. It has been edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p>San Francisco has been seeing record rains and flooding, which means I've been busy cleaning my eight adopted storm drains on the streets around my building.</p><p>The city's Adopt-a-Drain program has become really popular in the last week, possibly thanks to my friend's <a href="https://twitter.com/theurv/status/1610702283364511745">viral Twitter thread</a> about all the fun names people are giving their drains. But I've been cleaning my adopted drains since the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission began the program in 2016.</p><p>I heard about it when a friend was running for public office, and she shared updates with neighbors about ways to get involved in communities. She posted about this Adopt-a-Drain stuff on Nextdoor, and I was like, "Oh! Cool! Okay, I can do that."</p><p>It's a small bite-size kind of thing. It's not saving the world, but it's doing a small part.</p><p>The call to action was pretty straightforward: Help San Francisco be rain-ready and help chip in to keep storm drains in your neighborhood clean. That way the SFPUC staff — the people who go around with those big vacuum trucks — can stay focused on the big stuff, and we all do our little part to help mitigate flooding.</p><p>I like doing community clean-ups, so I thought it was cool. I claimed a couple drains, and then a few months later I claimed some more because I would always see them anyway when I did my rounds.</p><p>All in all, I'm responsible for eight storm drains around my building in the Outer Richmond district.</p><h2>You get to name your drain, and some people have embraced puns like 'It's Draining Men'</h2><div type="image" title="cars drive through flooded water on san francisco interstate at night" height="1499" width="1999" msid="96918696" hostid="261" sizebytes="401918"></div><p>It's easy: You go on the <a href="https://adoptadrain.sfwater.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interface</a>; you claim a drain or two; you give them a name.</p><p>I'm a very big volunteer in the YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement here in San Francisco, so I gave all my drains names like "Build More Homes!" and "Streamline Permitting!"</p><p>But a lot people have embraced puns when naming their storm drains in the last week, like "It's Draining Men" and "Drain 'The Rock' Johnson."</p><p>Once you've claimed your drain, it's just honor's system. They're not coming out and rapping you on the knuckles if you don't do anything. But the expectation is that you attempt to clear your drains ahead of major storm systems.</p><p>It is, for the record, pretty damn simple.</p><h2>I take a few minutes to check my drains before storms come in</h2><div type="image" title="gloved hang points at plastic bottle garbage covering storm drains" height="1024" width="768" msid="96918699" hostid="261" sizebytes="76872"></div><p>The SFPUC tends to circulate emails to the people who sign up ahead of time, saying a storm system's coming in on this date, if you can take time to clear your drains or check them out before this time. They don't want you doing it in the middle of a storm. They don't want people to unnecessarily risk themselves.</p><p>They've given us a lot of tips: Clear the drains from the sidewalk; don't stand in the street. Don't use your hands; wear gloves.</p><p>I've cleared my drains about four or five times since these <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-california-floods-show-damage-rescues-more-rain-coming-2023-1">storms started on New Year's Eve</a>.</p><p>When it's time to check them, I put on a sweater and pants and my boots and a neon vest that says "Adopt a Drain" on it, which SFPUC gave me when they invited some volunteers to tour the wastewater treatment plant in 2017.</p><p>I typically take a plastic bag for consumer trash and a paper bag for biodegradable trash.</p><p>Then I just start with the drain in front of my building and I go in a circle. I just rake everything up that's roughly 10 feet on either side of the drain.</p><p>The only drains that I can't get to are the ones where people park over them. You just gotta work around people's cars.</p><p>Then I take my gloves off, and I put the bags of debris in my building's compost trash and trash trash.</p><p>All in all, typically, it takes half an hour or less.</p><h2>Mostly it's vegetation clogging the drains, but I've also found Safeway garbage and one pesky golf ball</h2><p>The storm drain stuff is like 90% leaves and branches.</p><p>It takes me all of five minutes to go and clear all of those branches, and then I just throw the bio waste away in the compost bin.</p><p>I live out by a Safeway grocery store, and that Safeway generates a lot of trash. I have a grabber that I use to pick up trash and, it really does highlight how much plastic waste we generate. For one reason or another, it carelessly gets tossed aside and ends up in our storm drains and, sadly, could cause flooding.</p><div type="image" title="Storm drain grate with a golf ball lodged in the slot" height="2048" width="1536" msid="96918702" hostid="261" sizebytes="860484"></div><p>Some stuff gets stuck in the grates that you cannot remove and that you need to call the city about. And the one that they clearly de-prioritize — it's a low priority, but I've reported it a couple times now — is a golf ball that is perfectly stuck in the grates of one of my drains.</p><p>I can't dislodge it. I tried to get a stick and poke it out and it just won't move. How did this happen? Who put a golf ball in there?</p><div type="image" title="Storm drain grate with a golf ball lodged in the slot" height="1155" width="1536" msid="96918705" hostid="261" sizebytes="150778"></div><h2>People say thank you and the local paper dubbed us 'drain daddies'</h2><p>When people see me cleaning the drains, every reaction is very wholesome. Usually people say, "Thank you so much" or, "Oh, what are you doing here?"</p><p>The <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/sewer-drain-flood-volunteers-17698009.php">SF Chronicle</a> dubbed me and my fellow volunteers "drain daddies," which I thought was a little funny.</p><p>A bunch of my friends have seen this latest viral craze, and they all went and adopted drains, and now they're taking care of them, too. They're asking me for tips, and I'm like, ah, it's not that hard. You pick the leaves out of the gutter and wear gloves.</p><p>It's just one small way of being a volunteer and being part of my community and making sure that just a little bit gets done to keep our city clean and safe.</p>

I adopted 8 storm drains to keep my San Francisco neighborhood from flooding. It's a 'bite-size' way to keep the streets safe.

<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Larry Koser Jr. (L) and his son Matthew look for important papers and heirlooms inside Larry Koser Sr.'s house after it was flooded by heavy rains from Hurricane Harvey August 29, 2017 in the Bear Creek neighborhood of west Houston, Texas.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The fourth hurricane of 2017, </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/hurricane-irma-2017">Irma</a><span>, </span><span>is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-irma-strength-category-forecast-updates-2017-9">heading toward</a> the US, and officials in Florida are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-irma-florida-residents-should-be-prepared-to-evacuate-2017-9">asking residents</a> to be prepared to evacuate as it approaches. As of Friday afternoon, </span>Irma had slammed into several Caribbean islands as a Category 5 storm, killing at least 23 people.</p><p>Although the storm's exact path is not yet know, some meteorologists have said it's possible it could hit Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Alabama this weekend.</p><p>In these states, residents are doing their best to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-prepare-for-a-hurricane-2017-9/#ready-your-house-for-flooding-5">prepare their homes</a> to mitigate flood and wind damage, like <span>securing rain gutters, clearing clogged drains, installing sump pumps, unplugging appliances, and reinforcing doors and windows.</span></p><p>According to the <a href="https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes">Department of Homeland Security</a> (DHS), there is one thing you shouldn't do, however: Apply duct tape to glass windows.</p><p><span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-irma-strength-category-forecast-updates-2017-9">Now a Category 4 storm</a>, Irma has sustained wind speeds of 150 mph, with the potential to make homes unlivable for months. If extreme winds bust through windows with tape, it could cause the glass to break into larger, deadlier shards.</span></p><p><span>The best DIY alternative is <a href="http://flash.org/peril_inside.php?id=104">boarding up your windows</a> with plywood (preferably at least 5/8 inch thick) and caulking the perimeters to help keep out water. And t</span><span>hough these are not a last-minute solution, you could also invest in wind-resistant windows or pull-down storm shutters, which need to be retro-fitted ahead of time.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stunning-footage-highlights-2017-total-solar-eclipse-2017-8">Stunning footage from NASA shows the best shots of the historic total solar eclipse</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

You Searched For "clogged gutters" and got 6 results

How clogged gutters are cleaned before winter

Insider

How gutters are professionally deep cleaned

Kiki Sideris

I can make $1,300 a day cleaning roofs and gutters. It's one of the easiest and highest-paying side gigs out there here's how I got started.

Jenna Gyimesi

I adopted 8 storm drains to keep my San Francisco neighborhood from flooding. It's a 'bite-size' way to keep the streets safe.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

Why you shouldn't put tape on your windows during a hurricane like Irma

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