Gutter cleaning requires strength and stamina.
Working at heights is a physically demanding job. There are different types of roofs the technicians must access every day. Obviously, the easiest ones are the flatter, lower roofs.
But when these roof gutters are filled to the brim with debris, the challenge begins.
The grass in the photo above, has taken root in the gutter. The technician had to first cut the grass into smaller sections to remove the bulk by hand. The roots are densely compacted in the gutter, making them very difficult to remove. Our Working at Heights training ensures the technician stays within his pendulum. This is because he is working at the edge of the roof to pull out the grass.
The hard bit is done and then it is time to vacuum clean the gutter.
Have a look at these gutters!
Now this roof is a safer roof to work on. It is a box gutter with a parapet wall. It is good for us but the owner does not see the jungle growing in the gutter. This gutter will need regular maintenance to prevent major water damage.
The pitch on this roof was too steep to access. The only way to clean this was to put a ladder up to it and pull out the grass by hand. We use a ground vacuum system to then vacuum the gutters.
We can use this system to access quite high gutters. It is especially useful on buildings that have roofs that are either too steep or are too fragile to walk on. There are two properties in the north of Tasmania that we would not be able to do the work without this system.
The first time is always a challenge to remove the grass and compacted debris. When the pole is at the height of a nearly three-storey building, strength and patience are required to get the grass to a position for extraction.
There are many challenges in this job and each day/job presents our technicians with the opportunity to provide the best service they can. They come home each day tired and sore but with a sense of purpose. they have the job satisfaction of knowing what the gutters were like when they started and when they finish the clean.
