subject: DIY Guttering System Repair: When to Give it to the Experts [print this page] Cleaning and maintaining gutters can be hard work, although many people can do it themselves. However, make no mistake: cleaning and maintaining gutters is essential to extending the lives of buildings and houses. Cleaning gutters will ensure that waste is removed from where it can clog gutters, or where it can contribute to wood or roof rot. Gutter maintenance also makes sure that you have nothing in a gutter that is too dry and that can catch on fire, and therefore burn your place down. Cleaning and maintaining gutters can be something that you can do yourself, but there are cases where you really have to leave the cleaning and maintenance to the experts.
If you are repairing or cleaning out only a small portion of your guttering system, and if you don't live in a house that has a dangerously sloping roof, or that is not too high, then you may safely assume that you can do the job yourself. You will need a ladder, and at least one other person around to make sure that you do your work safely. Your work may include resealing your gutter, repairing your guttering system's pipes, or even repairing parts of the roof that might have rotted because of organic matter that accumulated in the gutter.
However, if you live in a house with a dangerously sloping roof, and if the weather is not amenable to working on your gutter, you will need professional help. First, the experts will have the appropriate tools, such as more stable ladders, protective clothing, and the right tools to deal with gutter maintenance. These experts will also have insurance for their work.
Is your gutter old, or made up of materials that are not readily available in your area? Instead of driving out of town to look for materials to patch up your gutter, or worse, attempting to patch it up with substitute materials that are not the same quality as the original, look for an expert to help you patch it up. This way, you do not have to worry about your gutter falling apart because you did not have the right materials to keep it upright and hole-free.
Moreover, doing gutter cleaning and maintenance yourself is not easy, much less quick. By the time you get all your tools together, have your ladder in place, and then get everything cleaned, you would have only a few hours left in a day to actually do the repairs. There might also be some surprise repairs that you need to do, especially since you can never anticipate how many repairs you need to do.
DIY Guttering System Repair: When to Give it to the Experts
