The Dangers of Eavestrough Cleaning

Eavestrough Cleaning or Gutter Cleaning (which ever you choose to call it) is an unpleasant task many home owners choose to do themselves. I will add that most homeowners who clean the eavestroughs themselves seldom clean them often enough and this adds stress to the eavestroughs and decreases efficiency and the life of the eavestrough. However, if you are going to do it yourself take all safety precautions. 

We are approaching our 17th year of business and in that time I have met people with serious injuries because they fell while cleaning their eavestroughs. Like Frank who broke his pelvis on both sides, broke a couple of ribs and a received a concussion. Or Mr. Smith (not his real name) who was on his roof cleaning his gutters, lost his balance and decided to jump off his roof. He shattered the lower part of his right leg and his heel bone shattered into pieces. 

Here's a video of a young man lucky to still be alive. He went up to retrieve a drone off of his roof with near disastrous results. WARNING! THIS VIDEO IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! IT'S GRAPHIC! 

As you can see, climbing to your roofs edge or the eavestroughs IS DANGEROUS! So let's address some of these dangers and how to prevent them.

An Unstable Ladder

If the ground is uneven, it can be difficult for a person to climb it. In addition, the ladder could be bumping up against the roof or gutters, causing damage to the eavestrough itself. Make sure the feet of the ladder are positioned properly and the top of the ladder has a ladder stand off to stabilize the top of the ladder. You also need to make sure the ladder has the proper pitch.

The Ladder is old or needs repair.

Homeowners only use their ladder once or twice a year unlike companies like mine that are using them everyday. They generally don't notice if the ladder needs repair. Ladders that are not taken care of can easily break or cause a hazard for the one using it. if you have an old ladder, or you have a rung that is dented or a rung lock broken, take the ladder to the recycler and GO BUY A NEW ONE!

Not Using the right size ladder for the job.

Home Owners usually only have one ladder. There are different size ladders so you can do jobs safely. If you have your extension ladder extended to the last rung and you have a pitch that is near vertical, you are asking for trouble! That's why our company owns 6' and 8' step ladders, several  adjustable height step ladders, several 20' ladders, several 24' ladders and many 28' ladders. We even have one 36' ladder for the really high jobs.

Wearing the Wrong Clothing

Our poor amateur in the above video wasn't  thinking much about the clothing he was wearing when he started his ascent. Sandals and shorts weren't the proper attire for climbing! I'm grateful this gentleman and his wife went public with this video for the sake of others. I also think he deserved a good chin wagging from his wife.

Watch Out for Electrical Wires

Every House has them! Electrical wires are a BIG hazard for those trying to clean eavestroughs. Coming in contact with electrical wires can be deadly so be careful around them when cleaning your gutters.

Problems with Dizziness or Age.

I can't tell you how many people from my generation (I'm a baby boomer) can't fathom paying someone to clean their eavestroughs. Even this year I was asked by a man's daughter to provide a quote for her dad (over 80 years old and in poor health) who still cleans his eavestroughs. She is afraid he is going to fall. I gave the quote of $150 and the elderly man, bless his heart, looked at the quote and exclaimed, "I'm not paying that to have my eavestroughs cleaned. I'll do it myself." He did thank me for coming out though.

The reality is, as you get older, you think you are still as good as you were at 18!!!!! Believe me, you are not. I've been in this type of work now for decades. I am now 62 years old. I know I am not as good on a ladder or a roof as I was decades ago. I also used to be able to scale a 6/12, 8/12, or 10/12 pitch roof like a monkey. No more. I now won't step foot on an 8/12 or steeper roof! My younger employees can do that! 

In closing, I would highly recommend you let professionals like us who are fully insured with WSIB and Liability Insurance clean your eavestroughs. We've been doing this for decades and we know how to do it efficiently and safely. You can contact us at www.theeavestroughcompany.com or you can phone us at 905-966-2564. We work closely with my son's company Clean Eaves and he is one of THE BEST eavestrough cleaners in the city! Yes, I am biased!

I would also recommend you install Alu-Rex Gutter Protection. This will prevent you from having to clean out your eavestroughs. The Eavestrough Company is an Elite Installer of Alu-Rex. In my opinion, it is simply the best gutter guard on the market.

If you would like a quote for eavestrough, fascia, soffit, siding or gutter guard installation, give us a call at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at https://theeavestroughcompany.com. We have years of experience and have thousands of happy customers.

P.S. If you are going to clean your own eavestroughs or gutters, like the video above shows, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS HAVE A SECOND PERSON in case something goes wrong!