First, gutter cleaning is dangerous. This job requires that you work on a ladder and ladder accidents are quite common. Thousands of people are seen in emergency rooms every year because of injuries they sustained while working on or near ladders. There are even a few deaths every year. Climbing ladders is dangerous enough, but when you have to work on top of one, reaching out as far as you can and scooping and scrubbing, the danger factor goes up. The dangers are not limited to working at heights, though. The debris that clogs up gutters is often wet and infested with mold and mildew that can be harmful to your health. Most people can get away from gutter cleaning with a few sneezes if they wear a mask and they have a healthy respiratory system. However, if you are unlucky enough to suffer from a mold allergy, you could have a wide range of reactions including difficulty breathing or even death. The dangers associated with this chore are only the first reason you should consider hiring a professional gutter cleaner.

Another reason is if you are afraid of heights. We have already recognized that working on a ladder is dangerous. Imagine how much worse it is for someone who is afraid of heights. Just the act of climbing up the ladder, before you ever have to let go, is terrifying. To some, it is worth the extra cost to pay someone to do it for them. It may seem irrational, but acrophobia is a real thing and the symptoms can include a loss of the ability to think clearly and panic attacks. Those symptoms could lead to someone doing something that could lead to injury.

Something you might not think about that is a great benefit of having a professional gutter cleaner to your home is that they can make sure your gutters are hanging the right angles to maximize your gutter efficiency and they can tighten any loose holders or replace any missing straps. As your gutter system ages and settles, it might not be hanging appropriately. Professional gutter cleaning services usually include an inspection to make sure that the pitch is appropriate and your gutters are securely attached to your home. If you so not mind working on a ladder and have no fear of working at heights, then you might want to consider hiring someone for this reason about once every two years or so.

But what kind of mask is the right kind? If you have ever tried to look for face masks online then you are familiar with the fact that there are many different types designed for many different purposes. The general school of thought is that N95 respirators are the appropriate type of mask to wear when there is a possibility of exposure to mold spores. N95 masks are sometimes called particulate respirators. The N stands for “not resistant to oil” and the 95 stands for the fact that they have a ninety five percent filter efficiency. More specifically, they will filter out ninety five percent of the particles in the air that are 0.3 microns or larger. Mold spores can be anywhere from one to one hundred microns in size so this mask should be plenty of protection.

When you wear your mask it should cover your mouth, nose, and chin completely. There are usually two elastic straps or tie straps. The lower strap should be secured at the top of your neck and the upper strap should run above your ears and then to the top of the back of your head. Once the straps are in place, there should be a good seal around the mask so that there are not any spaces where particulates can get in. Some masks will have a flexible piece of metal in the nose piece. This flexible metal should be pinched so that there is a good seal all the way down the bridge of your nose.

Wooden ladders are the original ladders. Until fairly recently, all ladders were made of wood. The rungs were fit into grooves or depressions carved into the side pieces. Many contractors and homeowners still prefer to use wooden ladders because they are durable, inexpensive, and non-conductive. It is very hard to bend or break a wooden ladder with normal use. They are made of hard stuff and they will last a very long time. Compared to aluminum or fiberglass ladders they are cheap so for many, their first ladder is a wooden ladder because they are not sure how often they will use the ladder and they do not want to spend a lot of money on it. Being non-conductive is important when working outdoors or near electrical lines.

There are cons to working with a wooden ladder, however. Wooden ladders are heavy and hard to move around, especially if you have a large wooden extension ladder. Some are so heavy that you need two people to carry them from place to place. That makes gutter cleaning more difficult because you will need someone with you the whole time to help move the ladder every time you need to move to another gutter section. In addition, wood is prone to damage and rot due to insect activity and bad weather exposure. A rung on a ladder could be almost ready to break because termites found it and you would not even know until you fell. Wood that is left outside in the rain for long periods of time can rot through and be ruined.

Aluminum ladders are very popular mainly because they are lightweight and easy to get around. They also are good to use outdoors because they are not easily damaged by the outdoor climate. Aluminum is also a very strong material of construction. However, there are some possible problems with aluminum. Any metal is going to be a good conductor of electricity so it is not a good idea to use a metal ladder when you are going to be working near power lines of any kind. Also, do not climb an aluminum ladder in a lightning storm. One final concern with aluminum ladders is that aluminum is a relatively soft metal and will bend under pressure. Therefore, you run the risk of the ladder becoming twisted or unstable. You need to be very careful when transporting or storing an aluminum ladder.

Fiberglass is the newest material that manufacturers are making ladders out of. Fiberglass is not conductive so it is safe to use outside near power lines. Like aluminum, fiberglass is resistant to weather damage and not susceptible to insects. Unlike aluminum, fiberglass will not bend under pressure, however there is a small risk of rungs snapping under stress. Fiberglass ladders have not been around that much so there is not a lot of data on how stable they are in the long term. Fiberglass is light, like aluminum which makes it easy to transport and move around.

A-frame ladders are also called step ladders. They are called A-frame because when they are in use, the two sides of the ladder and the supports that go across the middle form an A. The name step ladder comes from the fact that these ladders have wide steps to stand on rather than thin rungs. The extra stability afforded by those wide steps are one reason that an A-frame ladder is a good one to use for a gutter cleaning project. Another reason in favor of step ladders is that they often have shelves built in near the top to hold tools and things. This shelf can be very helpful when you need to switch between a gutter scoop and a gutter brush while gutter cleaning. If you did not have the shelf, you might have to climb up and down the ladder to exchange tools.

A-frame ladders might not work in all cases, though. Usually step ladders are meant for smaller jobs. This type of ladder usually does not go very high. If your house is only one story then you can probably get away with it. But if you need to get twenty feet in the air, you probably will not be able to do it with an A-frame. Another thing to consider is the ground around your house. A step ladder needs a lot of space to set up. You need to make sure that there is level ground on both sides of where the ladder will be set up and that there are no bushes or landscaping in the way. It is not safe to balance an A-frame ladder on anything but the ground. Do not attempt to support the ladder at points higher up than the feet over an outdoor air conditioner or something.

If you cannot use an A-frame ladder then an extension ladder might be in order. The second major type of ladder is the extension ladder. The name comes from the fact that the ladder is stored so that it is only eight to ten feet long, but it can be extended to reach much greater heights. Other than their adjustable nature, the other major difference between these types of ladders is how they stand. Extension ladders are meant to be leaned against something and cannot stand up on their own. The bottom of these ladders usually has feet that swivel so that they can be level with the ground no matter what angle the ladder is sitting at. Extension ladders are a good choice for gutter cleaning because they will definitely reach your gutters no matter how high they and you can fit them almost anywhere because they do not take up much room on the ground.

There are some downsides to these ladders, however. The rungs on an extension ladder are typically round and small. There is not as much support for your feet when you are on these ladders so it is especially important to follow proper ladder safety procedures. Another downside to these ladders is that they do not usually have any kind of shelves or places to put things you are working with. If you are using an extension ladder, then you will need to carry things in your pocket or a bag or sit them on the roof. Because the roof is sloped, that could be a problem, but you have to make do with what you have.

As you can see, there are benefits to both kinds of ladders. I am afraid of heights so I want as much support as possible when I am on a ladder. That is why I prefer A-frame or step ladders whenever possible. However, my two story house means that I have to use an extension ladder.

The first ladder safety tip to follow is to make sure that you sit the base of the ladder on level ground that is solid. You want to avoid placing the ladder in soft or muddy earth because the legs could sink into the ground unevenly causing the ladder to be unbalanced and easier for you to fall off. Ground covered in gravel or mulch can also be hazardous because those loose pieces could cause one or both of the legs to sweep out and the ladder to fall with you on it. Finding a spot next to your home that meets these criteria can be difficult at times. You need to wait for the weather conditions to be right so that you will have hard ground. If there are too many hills or too much landscaping directly next to your house, you might have to resort to using scaffolding or hiring a gutter cleaning service.

A second ladder safety rule has do deal with how close or far away from your home you should put the base of the ladder. You will need a tape measure to make sure you do this part correctly. Measure how high the top of the ladder will be or how high your gutters are. Divide that number by four. That is how many feet away from the wall the base of the ladder should be. For example, if your gutters are twenty feet in the air then you need to put the bottom of your ladder five feet away from your house. In order to reach the top of the house, the ladder will need to be at least twenty and a half feet long. This four to one ratio is a good rule of thumb to practice.

A third ladder rule to follow is the three points of contact rule. Between your feet and your hands, you must always keep at least three parts of your body in contact with the ladder at any given moment. That means while you are climbing you cannot be holding anything in your hands. But how will you get your gutter cleaning equipment up the ladder? I usually put my gloves on before I climb and then tie a garbage bag with my gutter scoop and brush in it to my belt loop. The rope will extend as I climb and then I can pull the bag up once I get to the top. At the top, I can put my gutter cleaning tools on the roof while I am not using them and keep the garbage bag tied to my belt or to the ladder. While you are scooping or scrubbing your gutters, never let go with more than one hand at a time.

What gloves are best? You want a glove that will still leave you dexterous enough to grasp tools and work easily with your hands. Make sure that the gloves fit properly and are not too big. You also want to get a pair that will extend as far past your wrist as possible. The disposable kitchen gloves that you can buy in the grocery store usually work well because they have grips on the fingers and extend almost up to the middle of your forearm. The more of your arm that is covered, the further you can reach into the gutters without worrying about getting any gutter grime on you.

But why is it so important to wear them? Well, of course you want to avoid getting dirty, but there are molds and bacteria in rotting leaves that you do not want to come in contact with your skin. The moist and warm environment created by the sun shining down on your rooftop is the perfect conditions for mold and bacteria to thrive. If you let these contaminants touch your skin you are much more likely to touch your mouth or eyes and get the mold or bacteria into your system. Some people will not be that affected by them, but others suffer from extreme allergies and could get sick.

How can mold make you sick? Mold allergies have many symptoms, including but not limited to sneezing, chronic cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, watery eyes, red eyes, skin rashes, hives, sinus headaches, reduced lung capacity and trouble breathing. As with most allergies, the longer you are exposed or the more times you are exposed, the worse the allergy can get. Depending on the severity of your allergy you could experience the symptoms of a mild cold or you could stop breathing. Black mold or toxic mold can even be lethal in some cases. This is a health concern to take seriously.

Even if you wear gloves, you probably will still be at least somewhat affected by the presence of mold. If you have a severe reaction to the mold, then you might want to consider hiring someone to do your gutter cleaning. Even though you will save money if you do the job yourself, it is not worth getting sick over.

Most importantly, you want to make sure that the base of your ladder is on solid, level ground and not on any ice, snow, grease or mud. The rule of thumb for where to place your ladder: for every four feet high that the ladder is going to go up, the base of the ladder should be one foot away from the house. So, for a typical one-story house, the top of your ladder will be about 10 above the ground and the base of the ladder will be about 2.5 feet from the house. This means that you need a ladder that is between 10 and 11 feet long.

Make sure that you always face the ladder when moving up or down and never carry anything in your hand while climbing. You will probably need a garbage bag and gloves to clean your gutters so you should carry these things in your pocket or wear the gloves when climbing up and down. I find it works best to attach the garbage bag to a rope and then tie the rope to my belt loop while I climb. Then when I get to the top I can raise the bag up and down. Experts will tell you that you must always maintain three points of contact when on a ladder. That means that either two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot must be touching the ladder at any given moment. Therefore, once you get the garbage bag up to the top, use the rope to tie it to the ladder so you can hang on with one hand and clean out debris with the other.

There is one other safety concern that I can think of. I recommend that you wear gloves when cleaning out your gutters because you will be exposed to molds from the wet leaves and debris in your gutters. That moist environment is the perfect place to grow mold and bacteria. Most people will be fine if they wear the gloves and may only suffer the occasional sneeze. However, there are people with severe mold allergies that might suffer worse side effects. If you are one of those people then I recommend that you let another family member clean your gutters and downspouts or hire a gutter cleaning service.

If you do it yourself, there will be considerably less cost. It only takes time and some simple gutter cleaning equipment that is only basic household items. Therefore, doing it yourself is usually the more ecnomical choice. If you hire gutter cleaning services you could spend anywhere from seventy-five to five hundred dollars. The size of your home and how many stories it is add to the cost. If your downspouts are clogged this usually adds to this cost as well. Most people that professional clean your gutter do not use water or hoses so cleaning downspouts is a lot more complicated. In addition to the economics, there is a less tangible advantage to cleaning your own gutters. When you own a home, you develop a special bond with it as you put more and pore of yourself into maintaining it. There is a great satisfaction in putting in some hard work on making your home more beautiful.

If you are a particularly clumsy individual or are accident-prone, then hiring someone to clean your gutters could be the right choice for you. Obviously, there are safety concerns when you clean your own gutters. If you let professionals do it then you do not have to worry about being hurt when you fall from a ladder. In addition to keeping your feet on the ground, hiring a professional has other added benefits. Many gutter-cleaning services include leveling of your gutters to make sure they are pitched properly to optimize your drainage system. In addition, many technicians also will replace or repair the hangers for your gutters to make sure they are securely attached to your home and will not fall off in heavy winds or rains. As self-sufficient as they can be, I doubt many homeowners know the specifics of how their gutters should hang.

In order to make sure that my gutters are hanging properly, I usually have a service clean them once every two years. The other three times I climb up the ladder and do it myself. If you keep to a schedule of two cleanings per year, the chore should not take as long or be as expensive when you pay for it.