How to Clean and Maintain Gutters

What you need

A ladder, gloves, a bucket, a scoop or small trowel, a hose, safety glasses and a helper. A bucket with a hook that hangs on the ladder saves endless trips up and down. Do this job on a dry, calm day — never on a wet or windy one, when ladders slip and gutters are slippery.

Step 1 — Set the ladder safely

Put the ladder on firm, level ground at a 1-in-4 angle — one foot out from the wall for every four feet up — with the top resting on the wall or fascia, never on the gutter itself, which bends under the weight. Have your helper foot the ladder and pass tools up. Keep three points of contact at all times, never stand on the top three rungs, and never overreach: if you cannot reach a section comfortably, move the ladder instead of leaning out.

Step 2 — Scoop out the debris

Working along the gutter from the ladder, scoop the leaves, moss and sludge into the bucket with your gloved hand or the scoop. Start at the end furthest from the downspout and work toward it, so you are not pushing debris past the outlet. Wear the safety glasses — gutters hold stagnant water and sharp bits of grit that flick up when you scoop.

Step 3 — Flush and check the fall

Run the hose into the far end of the gutter and watch the water flow to the downspout. It should run freely and drain completely: standing water means the fall is wrong or the gutter is sagging, and that is a job for a roofer to adjust, not something to force with a bracket. Check the joints as the water passes — a drip at a joint means the seal has failed.

Step 4 — Check the downspouts

Run the hose down each downspout and make sure the water comes out at the bottom. The gutter calculator tells you how many downspouts the run needs from its length and spacing — too few downspouts and the gutter overflows in heavy rain even when it is clean. If a downspout is blocked, try the hose first; if that fails, take the bottom section off and clear it from below rather than forcing anything down from the top.

Worked example

A gutter run 120 ft long with downspouts spaced 40 ft apart needs ⌈120 ÷ 40⌉ = 3 downspouts. That is exactly what the gutter calculator gives you — and if your run is longer or the spacing wider, the count changes, so measure your own gutter rather than copying this one.

Common mistakes

• Leaning the ladder on the gutter. The gutter bends or breaks under the weight. Lean on the wall or fascia, and use a ladder stand-off if you have one.
• Overreaching. Leaning out past the ladder rails is how falls happen. Move the ladder — it takes a minute and it is the whole job.
• Ignoring a leaking joint. A small drip rots the fascia behind it over a season. Reseal or replace the joint while you are already up there.

Safety

Ladder work is the dangerous part of this job, not the gutters. Use a sound ladder on firm, level ground, at the right angle, with a helper footing it — and never work from a ladder in wind, rain or ice. Never climb onto the roof to reach a gutter, and never stand on the top three rungs. If the house is two storeys or more, if the ground is uneven, or if you are not comfortable at height, hire a professional: a gutter clean costs far less than a fall.

Try these calculators

• Gutter Calculator — downspouts from gutter length and spacing.
• Roofing Calculator — roofing area and materials for a roof.
• Roof Area Calculator — roof area and squares for up to three sections.