During spring and summer, Floridians receive a notable amount of rain. Because of this, it’s crucial to maintain healthy gutters and downspouts. During storms, gutters reroute the runoff from the roof, draining away from the house. This, in turn, protects your siding, windows, doors and even foundation from water damage.

To encourage your gutters to keep doing what they do best, you’ll need to pay them special attention during storm season. To prevent flooding and mold growth, we recommend this 5-step guide on how to clean your gutters.

1. Clean the gutter nearest a downspout.

First, locate an extendable ladder with stabilizers. If possible, opt for ladder horns which keep the ladder from damaging the gutters. We recommend wearing a long sleeve shirt and rubber gloves for safety. Make it your goal to clear out the areas nearest the downspout. Most often, this is where it experiences the most blockage.

2. Remove debris and discard the waste.

Next, it’s time to clear it out! Remove leaves and twigs in handfuls and collect any gunk with a plastic scoop. Then discard onto a plastic tarp or into a thick, heavy-duty trash bag. Dumping the waste onto your lawn may seem like a quick fix, but can actually be quite harmful to the environment.

3. Clean out the finer materials.

In order to clear out the smaller debris, we recommend flushing out your gutters with a hose — starting at the end opposite the downspout. You also have the option to use a gutter cleaning kit. This will often connect to a leaf blower, so use a dust mask to ensure you’re not breathing in any of those particles.

4. Flush the gutters.

If the water doesn’t drain, check the downspout strainer and clean more if necessary. If it still isn’t draining, you may have to enlist the help of a plumber’s snake to dislodge the clog. When you’ve spotted the issue, remove and flush out the system a second time.

5. Check for potential leaks.

Another reason to flush out your gutters and downspouts is the opportunity to spot any leaks. If it’s occurring near the seams, run a bead of sealant along the joints to tighten the area between the gutters and the roof. If the leaking is near the end caps, use sealant along the side of the joints.

And, if you notice any damages to the gutters themselves, we recommend calling in the professionals. If you’re still noticing a bit of water damage, you may want to look into downpour extenders or plastic splash blocks to carry the excess the water away from the home.

6. How do you prepare for heavy rainfall?

Prevention goes beyond health gutters. To ensure that your roof stands up to the next storm, give Universal Roofing a call at (407) 295-7403 for a free inspection.

Don’t let the weather rock you like a hurricane.

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