Gutter cleaning

[Branchland]

For those of you that clean gutters what exactly do you do? I just started thinking of this the other day when I was cleaning some gutters. What I mean is if I tell someone that I will clean their gutters I'm just cleaning/ scooping the gunk out and makeing sure the down spouts are clear. But I have noticed that most gutters are streaked on the face side. Do any of you include cleaning the gutter face in your cleaning or just the inside? Do you price washing the face as a extra?

[chimmygew]

Echo makes a rain gutter kit that fits on backpack blowers. It is basically a long extension with a "U" shaped end to fit right over the guttering. A couple passes and you are done. No scooping, no ladders, no getting on the roof like I used to. I don't wipe the face side down. If they ever want it done, it would be extra.

[Green-Pro]

Echo makes a rain gutter kit that fits on backpack blowers. It is basically a long extension with a "U" shaped end to fit right over the guttering. A couple passes and you are done. No scooping, no ladders, no getting on the roof like I used to. I don't wipe the face side down. If they ever want it done, it would be extra.

Got the Echo gutter attachment. Ditto on the rest.

[JLL25]

I just stick the business end of my echo 550 backpack down in there and walk counter-clockwise around the roof. Shove the end of the blower in the down spout until you see air rushing out. A 1500-2000sq.ft. roof takes me about 10 minutes max--$20. Ofcourse it isnt ALWAYS that easy but thats how it goes 90% of the time. Good luck.

[Branchland]

I clean gutters with a blower while walking the roof, if it's not too steep. If too steep or clogged with a year or more of muck I scoop it out by hand into a bucket. The one I cleaned the other day was so clogged up from the ground you could see the muck at the top of the gutter along with saplings growing in them. It was a 2 story house with a 10/12 pitch roof. Needless to say but I worked off the ladder.

[Branchland]

I can see the gutter kit working great for exsisting customers that you clean the yard and gutters, but not on one time deals, or if you don't do the yard also or if it's just too full with that wet, slimey nasty crap.

[TURFLORD]

Sounds like you already know what to do. Be careful about how much weight you lean on the gutter with the ladder.:waving:

[PMLAWN]

For us gutter cleaning means the gunk in the gutter. Pressure washing takes in the streaks.
For us it is all ladder work as most homes have 12/12 pitch. We cut down a HOE so it fits in the gutter and just pull the leaves to us at the bucket. Dropping or blowing makes a big mess and takes longer. And I hate pine needles.

[chimmygew]

I have had some really clogged up gutters and the gutter kit has ALWAYS worked. The problem with walking on the roof is the chance of falling. No matter how safe you are, there is always that chance. The kit is either $20 or $30 bucks. Can't quite remember. Saves a lot of time over the ladder. My minimum on gutters is $30.00.

[Envy Lawn Service]

Personally, I do gutters and do them at a time I feel it will be easiest.

I go on the roof with the Echo handheld, which is a shred-n-vac. Point being it has an extra handle on it for holding the blower sideways while blowing. It also has a curved duckbill tip that lines up just perfectly for walking the roof and getting down in the gutters. Works fantastic although sometimes I wish it was stronger.

In blower form it basically looks like this one, except it has a handle over the recoil.

http://www.echo-usa.com/images/products/pb-200.gif

Turn it sideways, recoil up, left hand on the throttle handle and go to town.

[Tharrell]

I wanted to let you guys know, the first time I used a blower on my roof I blew a couple of shingles up. They layed back down but I had broken the "seal" from the top shingle and the underlying shingle. In warm weather, the shingles seal against each other and it helps keep them from flapping up on a low pitch roof in windy weather. Anyway, I lost a lot of shingles when the wind started blowing that winter. The newer "Timberline" shingles don't have the 3 flaps and shouldn't be a problem. Oh yeah, the blower was just running at idle and I was turning around when the shingles blew up.
Here's a good pick of a shred n vac. I used to have one also until someone stole it.