How to Clean Gutters

As a homeowner, you don't have to spend money hiring help to clean the gutters on your house. It's possible to do the job by yourself, unless of course they have become terribly dirty or clogged and only expert hands can restore their functionality.

Here are a few easy steps that you should follow if you need guidance on how to clean gutters:

Get the Necessary Tools Ready

Before you get begin cleaning out the gutters, you need to be sure you have all the tools that you will need in order to perform this task. For this job, you will need ladders, a pair of rubber gloves, a bucket, a gutter scoop, and a garden hose onto which you will attach a spray nozzle. Once you have put together these tools, you are now good to go.

Remove the Covers of the Gutters

After ensuring that your ladders are firmly in place against the wall, climb up and remove all the covers from the gutters. Note that you should never climb onto the two topmost rungs of the ladders as that would make the ladders very unstable, posing a risk of a serious fall.

Scoop Debris Out

Use the gutter scoop to get out all debris that is in the gutters. To minimize how much more cleaning you will need to do later, place this extracted debris into the bucket that you should have close by for use in this cleaning process. In case you don't have a gutter scoop, use your hands to remove the debris. Remember to keep your hands inside rubber gloves throughout this cleaning exercise, or you could suffer from cuts due to sharp points on the gutters.

Flush All Gutters

Once all the debris has been removed, the next task involves using the hose and spray nozzle. Direct a jet of water that is under pressure to clean out any dirt that could have remained in the gutters once you have removed the debris manually. Remember to avoid hitting the gutters with water at a very straight vertical angle as that could force them to get detached from the roof. Let the water reach the gutters along the normal flow pattern of rain water.

Inspect Down Spouts for Clogs

If water isn't flowing freely down the spouts, check for any clogs in there. You can remove the debris clogging the downspouts by using the hose alone (after removing the nozzle). By spraying water upstream along the down spouts, any debris in there will be dislodged and water will begin flowing without any disruption.

Do Final Checks on the Gutters

Once the gutters are clean and water is flowing freely down the downspouts, your final task is to give the entire system a final check to confirm that everything is as it should be. Ensure that all the gutters are properly secured onto the roof and that there are no rusty or damaged gutters. If everything is satisfactory, put back the covers on the gutters and climb down. Your gutter cleaning job is over!

As you can see from the above description, cleaning the gutters on your house is a fairly simple task. Experts recommend that you should clean your gutters at least twice each year. If you have a lot of trees near the roof of your house, you may have to do this cleaning exercise more often since debris or leaves will accumulate more quickly as compared to a home where there are no big trees near the roof.

Smart Green Retrofits for Managing Energy Bills

When it comes to energy savings and green home improvements, instead of expecting huge returns, understand the latest bottom line – you can hold against skyrocketing energy costs by going in for some smart retrofits.

In general, energy prices have increased substantially in the last 10 years, especially in certain parts of the country. Even though there was a slight fall in natural gas prices since 2008 and there was stability in electricity prices for a while, there have been upward trends in prices of both since 2011.

According to the estimates of the Energy Information Administration of the US, there will be an average yearly increase of 2.3 per cent of the costs of residential energy right through 2035. If these projections are accurate and your average annual energy bill is $2,200 today, an increase of 2.3% works out to $50 more in the first year if your consumption pattern stays constant. In such a scenario, you’ll have a bill close to $4,000 by the time you get to 2035. Ouch, that’s going to pinch.

Dependable energy saving retrofits

When the sole reason for making retrofits is managing energy bills, look out for projects that offer the maximum returns for your investment.

As a rule of the thumb, try to fight the 2.3% yearly average by going in for green home improvements which reduce your energy usage by 5% or above and require a reasonable initial investment. Remember to find out whether your state government or utility offers tax credits and rebates for such improvements.

Some suggestions:

1. Insulate and seal ductwork running through spaces without heating. Though it may not appear glamorous, doing this in places like the attic and garage can improve heating system efficiency by 20% and you might manage a 5% overall bill reduction. A few hundred dollars of investment will be required for hiring an HVAC pro for the job and labor and material costs.

2. Get a programmable thermostat. If you don’t have one already, getting it and programming it correctly can help you save about 8% on your energy bills on an average.

3. Seal air leaks and add attic insulation. This is one of the soundest energy-saving improvements. By sealing and insulating your home, you can bring down energy bills by almost 10%. Regard upgrading attic insulation and sealing air leaks as a combination job for maximum benefits.

 

The bottom line

Don’t expect huge savings in your energy bills when you opt for green home improvements. It makes better sense to go in for green retrofits that are likely to offset increasing energy prices.