Month: March 2019

What tools do you need?

What to do? Step by Step Instructions

How often should you clean?

Gutters are one of the heroes that protect your home against rain. During the process, gutters prevent the settling of moisture and clogging related problems. It is for this function that it is essential to maintain your gutters. If the gutters are of high-quality, they are expected to last several years, but like everything, they certainly cannot last forever. They might have functioned in high capacity, without and prevented several damages, they are however bound to fail someday.

Before your gutters fail, there are always telltale signs to look out for such that if they are not taken care of as soon as possible, they get worse over time and only lead to more work at a higher cost. These signs include but are not limited to:​
Cracks and Splits
A gutter with cracks or splits is similar to a bucket with a hole at its bottom. No matter the size, cracks, and splits remove the purpose of the gutter system. When it is time to clean the gutter, carefully examine it for cracks and splits. Larger cracks are apt to leap to the eye, unlike the smaller ones, so take your time to look out for them. The smaller cracks may not look important, but you should note that they will grow over time to become large. Large cracks and splits, however, needs to be replaced immediately.
Peeling Paint
Several people do not realize that peeling paint indicates a serious problem on some gutters because galvanized steel gutters are coated so as to protect them from moisture or water that could cause them to rust. When the paint peels off, it is an indication that moisture or water has begun damaging the gutters.
Rust
Certain types of gutters do not rust, but the ones made of galvanized steel may rust if the protective coating on them wear off. Any feature on the gutter that is similar to orange clothing in parts of the gutter are indications of rust and need to be replaced.
Sagging Gutters
When your gutters begin to sag and pull away from the house, know that it is time to replace them. Gutters sag when they become too full of water or too heavy, and when this happens, it is an indication of the gutter not functioning properly. It should then, be replaced.
Water Damage or Mildew
There are signs of water damage around or beneath your gutter system; signs you should look out for. They include water stains, mildew, puddles, peeling paint on home’s exterior and so on.

If you need more advice on your gutters, contact the professionals at DC Window Cleaners now!

The Squeegee Channel Material

Length of the Blade

Handle of the Squeegee

Blade Material

Keeping your home clean is a necessity that is not particularly easy to deal, especially during the rainy season. This is as a result of the gutters in your home getting clogged up, and the rainwater running off to spoil your doors, windows, basement, and other places. This situation, therefore makes cleaning gutters essential.

The solution to cleaning your gutters includes relieving your gutter of the accumulated dirt, leaves, garbage etc., and doing this before the rain begins and between rainfalls, in order to allow the rainwater to pass through the gutter efficiently.
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Before you can clean your gutter, there is certain equipment that you might need.
A quality ladder
gloves
cleaning equipment (based on your budget and preference)
hosepipe
eyewear
disposable bags
With the ladder, climb to the roof where the gutter is and put on your gloves (preferably heavy duty, to avoid cuts on your hands). These gloves also make it easier to remove the contents of the gutter.
Make sure to note that before you begin working on the gutter, you need to remove all the debris and/or leaves that may have collected on your roof, and are likely to find their way to the gutter. Also, make sure that you are stable on the ladder, and note your balance at all times. Make your own safety the first item on your priority list.

After clearing the roof, you can then begin to scoop out the leaves and debris in the gutter with either your hand or a scooping tool, and out then in a bucket or disposable bag. Ensure that you work away from the drain outlet (and when you are using a scooping tool, you need to begin at the lower part) in order to not result in the blockage of any outlet.

Avoid wet and completely dry debris. Wet debris is heavy, hard to clean and they may get stuck up. While completely dry debris facilitates spreading the leaves and debris over the place when you use a blower system.

Then, you should clean the gutter thoroughly using water and a scrubbing brush. Face the hosepipe towards the gutter outlet and wash the length of it, using the scrubbing brush for dry and encrusted dirt. This also informs you of the state of your drain pipes.

Provided there are no obstructions, remove them with water or flush them with water from the hosepipe in order to allow the rainwater to move freely.

If you are in Washington DC and need any professional assistance, remember that DC Window Cleaners is only a short drive away!

One of the most neglected areas of the house when it comes to cleaning are the windows, especially those high up in the house. This is not as a result of laziness (well, maybe it is) but because of how uncomfortable and inconvenient it can be.

You could easily reach upstairs windows with the use of a ladder which will help boost your height and bring you closer to them but that will be at a price you are probably not willing to pay. Apart from the fact that climbing up the ladder is risky as a result of your sustaining a severe injury during a fall among other things. there is also the possibility of you damaging your window and property while moving and using the ladder.

It is for the above mentioned reasons that you are really better off cleaning your upstairs windows without the help of a leader. This is a guide on how to make that happen.

There are several options available for you to choose from when attempting to clean an upstairs window one of which is to employ the services of a professional company. If you would rather do it on your own, however, the following are actionable steps to follow.

Before you embark on this quest, there are a couple of materials you should get ready as you will need them to wash those windows. Those materials are:

1. A garden hose,
2. A bucket of water (lukewarm water)
3. An extension pole with squegee
4. A brush with an extension pole

After getting all these, here is how you use them.

• Plug in the garden hose and switch on the tap. Warm water will work best for cleaning your upstairs windows but if you don’t have that, you could just as easily use cold water.
• Ensure that the water isn’t spurting too fast. Direct the stream to the window you want to clean and run it on it.
• Attach the brush you have to the end of the extension pole while adjusting it to the appropriate distance.
• Add some cleaning detergent to the bucket of lukewarm water you have prepared beforehand.
• Soak the already attached brush in the bucket of water which you have already added window cleaning detergent.
• Clean the window with the soaked brush starting from the top corner. This ensures that dirt doesn’t run onto the surface which would happen if you start from the bottom and clean in an upward direction.
• If a particular patch of dirt proves to stubborn and refuses to come off, soak it for a while and then try again.
• Run water through the hose again and use this to get rid of the foam and dirt that will remain on the window after washing.
• If perchance, you still find dirty spots, brush again.
• Replace the brush with the squeegee on the extendable pole.
• Clean over the windows with the squeegee. Ensure you begin from the top left corner and clean in a reverse S pattern.
• Allow your new and improved upstairs window to dry.

If all the above steps are followed religiously, you will have a window that’s undistinguishable from the one you had before you embarked on your window cleaning journey.