MACON, Ga. — Spring cleaning season is here and you might still have ‘cleaning the gutters’ as a chore on the honey-do list. There are a few safety tips to keep in mind If you’re planning on tackling the task yourself.
The guys at Gutter Gurus raise the ladder and clean around 500 homes a year during the busy season, which is just wrapping up.
"It's the last thing people think about because it's out of view," said owner, Todd Randall.
He says it’s something you should keep in mind because it can save you money in the long run. Water trapped by pine straw or squirrel nests could eventually seep into your home.
“You want to have the water away from your home – it’s your most prized possession. You do not want water in your basement, getting in your fascia, or your soffit,” he said.
If you pay someone to come and do the job, it can run anywhere from $150 up to $250. It all depends on the steepness of the roof and square footage of the home.
On average, experts recommend that you get your gutters cleaned twice a year. If you’re comfortable with heights and good on a ladder it’s something you can do yourself, but there are things to do to keep you safe.
The first? Wear gloves because you could run into wasp or squirrel nests. The next? Don’t try and do it alone.
"You never know if you're going to get up there when you're by yourself and you knock the ladder off or your dog’s going to bump into it…you don't want that to happen and be stuck on the roof,” said Randall. "Watch out for when you start throwing the pine straw debris off the roof -- don't get the water on the ladder."
You do not want to slip climbing down from the roof. Give your gutters a little attention now and keep the water flowing along when the spring and summer storms head your way.
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