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Author: Warren Ballantyne

Anzac Biscuits

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

Anzac Day is only a month away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in the spirit of the Anzacs today.  The humble Anzac Biscuit was sent to our troops in the First World War as they didn’t easily spoil and it is a tradition that we still have today.  Did you know you can freeze Anzac Biscuits so why not bake a batch this weekend and freeze so you are all ready for the Anzac Day commemorations.

Anzac Biscuits are easy to make and here is our favourite recipe.  The biggest question is… do you prefer your Anzac Biscuits soft or crunchy?

Enjoy and if we happen to be coming by to clean your gutters in the next month, we would be more than happy to taste test your batch of Anzac Biscuits…. Just to check they taste ok of course!

Anzac Biscuits:

Ingredients:

  • 20 grams butter
  • 2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Cup Plain Four
  • 1 cup rolled oats (oatmeal)
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Teaspoon Bi-carb soda

Instructions:

Melt butter and golden syrup together.

Add and mix in sugar and flour.

Then add Rolled oats, coconut and mix well.

Add egg and mix well.

Lastly, dissolve Bi-Carb soda in a tablespoon of boiling water and then add and mix well until mixture is stiff. 

Drop in spoonful’s on baking paper on cold tray  in cool

Heat oven to  160 degrees  

Cook for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Leave on tray until cool.  

Is gutter cleaning on your weekend to do list?

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

You have spent all week at work and you have worked hard.  The weekend comes and you are dreaming about sleeping in, maybe a round of golf or a long bushwalk.  Maybe you want to catch up with friends or you are simply the taxi and cheer squad to your kids sport.  But then….. the to do list comes out!

What should be a weekend of fun, rest and relaxation and time OFF work, you start to write a list of all the things you need to do around the house from mowing the lawn, fixing the mailbox, cleaning the windows or fixing those squeaky doors AND cleaning out the gutters.

Now let’s get serious about this.  It isn’t just a matter of time when it comes to cleaning out your gutters, it is really a matter of safety.

Sure there are many DIY activities you can do around your home on the weekend, but gutter cleaning shouldn’t be one of them.  Standing on top of a ladder, that may or may not be secured property, then leaning out to the side of that ladder to reach out and clean out the muck in your gutters by hand (that will be messy by the way) is an absolute recipe for disaster and that disaster is a fall off the ladder. 

What appeared to be a simple weekend DIY job could actually end up being a mistake that you can’t take back. 

So this weekend, instead of adding yet another thing to your to do list, why not give us a call on 1300 654 253 and speak to your local Gutter-Vac franchisee to obtain a free quote and then spend the weekend doing something you would much rather like to be doing – from golf to walking to simply sleeping – and save  yourself the time and potential disaster of a fall from a ladder and let us take care of your gutters. 

What creepy crawlies are in your gutters?

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

You have probably never thought of this before, but when you haven’t had your gutters cleaned, you are basically setting up a fast food outlet for lots of creepy crawlies and critters in and around your home.

When leaves, mud and dirt sit in your gutters, they break down to a mud like sludge.  This sludge is actually really nutrient rich with the run off from the roof surface and then also collecting bird and critter droppings and sometimes they contain seeds that then sprout into plant life.  There are many little bugs that like to crawl over and through this nutrient rich sludge which then attracts the bigger creepy crawlies and critters that like to eat the bugs and then the bigger critters that like to eat the smaller critters. 

What sort of critters and creepy crawlies are we talking about here.  From cockroaches and spiders through to mice and rats up to possums, birds and even snakes … yes snake!

Think what it would be like if you were say a rodent.  You could curl up and live in the ceiling cavity of the house – nice and warm, out of the elements.  Then when you were feeling a little hungry, head to the gutter to find some food. 

Cleaning your gutters doesn’t only protect your property from potential water damage, it can also help with pest issues because if you remove the food source, then the critters and creepy crawlies will go elsewhere.

So when was the last time you had your gutters cleaned?

Time to Vacuum Clean Gutters at Schools

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

The Easter School Holidays are a busy time for us at Gutter-Vac because this is when we clean the gutters at many schools in each and every franchise location before the leaves begin to fall in Autumn.

Schools understand that they need their gutters cleaned BEFORE leaves falls in Autumn as there has probably been a build-up in their gutters throughout the year and they don’t want to leave them get to a blockage point when the winter rains begin. 

The school holidays are also a great time of year to get us to come onsite at the school because the kids are on holidays.  It isn’t a problem to do the work whilst the kids are there, but it is certainly easier for everyone – us and the school if we do the work when the kids are not onsite.  Just from a safety aspect, it makes sense to do the work when the kids are not at school.

Easter is not the only school holidays that we do work in, in fact EVERY school holidays is busy cleaning the gutters at the school campuses. 

If you are Principal, School Maintenance/Property Manager or simply a concerned parent, now is the time to be giving us a call so that we can get the school quoted (free quote) and then booked to have their gutters cleaned.  Remember also that we can also clean solar panels to increase their efficiency plus also pressure clean to remove dirt, grime and mould from large surfaces.

Our top 7 camping spots for Easter holidays

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

If you love to pitch a tent and take the kids camping at Easter, then now is the time to start thinking about where you would like to go.  We are spoilt for choices in Australia with our many National Parks and beautiful camping grounds right around our country.

Here are some of our favourite picks for camping spots (not in any particular order!)

  1. Horseshoe Bay, Coffs Harbour, NSW

This is one of Australia’s top coastal camping grounds.  With the beaches, forests and ocean all right outside your tent, this is the perfect place for an Easter Long Weekend.  Also great that all the modern facilities of Coffs Harbour are close by, it is camping without being in the wilderness.

2. Margaret River, Western Australia

So many places to choose from in the Margaret River region, you are spoilt for choice.  Then with wineries, cafes, beaches and surfing all available, there is plenty to fill your days.  Top this with a sunset over the ocean and only 3 hours south of Perth and you have a holiday camping trip that will be one to remember.

3. Ingar Campground, Blue Mountains, NSW

Only 2 hours from Sydney, this is a great way to get out of the city for Easter, but not spend days in the car travelling.  The Blue Mountains is the perfect way to get into nature with numerous walking trails to explore and to keep the kids entertained.  Make sure you pack something warm as nights can get a little chilly.

4. Grampians National Park, Victoria

Much like the Blue Mountains in NSW, the Grampians are a great way to get out of the city into the mountains without the days of travel.  Just 3 and a bit hours from Melbourne, you can have a great Easter weekend with the family.  One campsite is right in Halls Gap (the main town for the Grampians) and there are many bushwalks, for all levels of walkers that start right in the town. 

5. North Stradbroke Island (Straddie), Queensland

Brisbane’s solution to Sydney and Melbourne’s close by Mountain camping areas is an island.  Lots of coastal walks and replace the mountains with beaches but roaming kangaroos are still on the cards for the kids.  A popular way for Brisbane families to have an island holiday on a camping budget.

6. Mt Field National Park, Tasmania

Tasmania’s oldest national park has lots on offer.  From the forest of giant ferns to the Tyenna River through to the must see Russell Falls, Mt Field National Park delivers.  Just 65 kms from Hobart, but beware, the camp area is tiny!

7. 1770, Queensland

Yes, 1770 is a place not a year.  Right on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, 1770 has plenty to offer campers, who if they want to, can camp right on the beachfront!  Water activities are the main attraction from snorkelling, kayaking to fishing.  Just 125 kms north of Bundaberg.

We wish you a very happy Easter and we hope you take care as you travel to your camping location, but once there, have fun, get into nature and show the kids that there is so much to do in the great nature reserves and locations of Australia.

And remember, the Easter Bunny will visit camping spots… just leave him a note or send a quick letter before you head off.

Cleaning gutters on Townhouses and Unit Blocks

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

When there are several properties on the one space of land with “common areas” to all properties, they will have a body corporate (or strata) in place.  Each home owner (townhouse or unit owner) will pay a body corporate fee to maintain these common areas.

In many cases, this includes roof lines and guttering and that’s where we can help.

Instead of each owner having to manage, maintain and organise the cleaning of their gutters, they Body Corporate Manager (or Strata Manager) will organise this common area cleaning to be done and will use the funds from the Body Corporate levies to pay for it.

This is done with a budget and an annual schedule and so therefore we work with the Body Corporate Manger on the quote and the schedule to ensure the job is done and the owners need never think about having to organise this.

We work with Body Corporate Mangers right across Australia and because we are fully trained and insured to work at heights, it allows them to hire the professionals what is essentially a commercial job, even though it is on a residential property.  We won’t go into the details, but things work a little differently – especially with insurances – when working on a commercial job rather than a domestic job.  Luckily, at Gutter-Vac, we treat both the same and maintain safety and OH&S standards no matter what type of job we are on.

So if you live in a townhouse or a unit block and you believe the gutters have not been cleaned in some time and you’d like us to give you a free quote, contact your Body Corporate Manager and ask them to give your local Gutter-Vac Franchisee a call on 1300 654 253.

Cleaning gutters from the ground up!

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

Although it is easier for us to vacuum clean gutters from the roof, it is not always possible.  Sometimes the pitch of the roof is simply to great that it is unsafe to work on the roof.  Other times there could be a slight misty rain or even frost or in some cases ice and snow on a roof, again making it unsafe to be on the roof.  Another reason we can’t work from the roof is due to lack of access.  There is no safe way to access the roof space or that there simply isn’t the space to even put up a ladder to access the roof surface.

In these cases, it doesn’t mean we can’t vacuum clean the gutters, we just do it from the ground.

We have a specialised ‘Ground Worker’s Kit’ that allows us to connect up to the vacuum and through a series of cylinder shaped poles, we can work up to 3 storeys below the gutters.

At the top of our poles we have a ‘candy cane’ shaped piece of piping that is transparent.  This allows us to see what is being vacuumed by the machine and what is coming out of the gutters.

To be honest, most of our franchisees can tell by the simple feel of the suction and the guide of the gutter if they are getting it all. 

Even our before and after photos can be done from the ground if required.  Again, we put a camera on a large pole and can take photos before and after the job is done.

We have a few defence force building and local city councils that regulate that all work needs to be done from a ground level and this is where our ground workers kit gets a real workout.

So if you have a property with limited or no access, a steep roof or the conditions are simply not favourable – or safe – for us to be working on the roof, we can still get the job done and vacuum clean your gutters for you. 

How gutter cleaning helps the environment

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

If you have read any of our blogs before, we talk about that what we really need to clean from your gutters is the sludge like mud that will sit in the bottom of your gutters.  Many people believe it is the leaves that we are vacuum cleaning out of your gutters – and we are – but we are also cleaning out this sludge. 

This sludge is a break-down of the leaves, any other matter or dirt that has fallen or blown into your gutters.  With a little rain and then birds and critters leaving droppings in your gutters that can also contain seeds, this sludge because extremely nutrient rich.  Remember also that it will capture anything that has be washed off of your roof and into your gutters.

This highly nutrient rich material can be simply washed – often over time – down through your guttering system and down your downpipes, but many people don’t think about what happens next.

This run off is then put through the storm water system and will eventually end up in our waterways. 

Imagine our waterways being contaminated with this nutrient rich matter, full of pollutions that have been washed off the roof of our homes and into the water system.

This is why gutter cleaning is actually good for the environment because when we vacuum clean your gutters we are removing all of this debris, this nutrient rich sludge so that it is not simply washed into our waterways, polluting the environment.

That’s why when you have your gutters cleaned, you are not only protecting your property from blocked gutters that could lead to disastrous water damage, but you are also helping the environment.  Feels good doesn’t it?

Get the kids ready to get back into school

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

It is that time of year again when the kids are finishing up their school holidays and heading back to school – hopefully this year at the school, not home doing school work.

We thought it might be helpful to give you a few hints and tips on helping kids settle back into the school year because we all know, if the kids are happy and settled in much faster, then it takes some of that added extra pressure off of your shoulders as a parent. 

This is some of the hints and tips that our many parents within Gutter-Vac recommend.

  • Be strict with a regular bed time

Kids need a routine and after a summer of staying up late or sleeping in, it is important to get kids into a routine to ensure they have enough sleep to be alert at school.  We all know that tired kids are grump kids, so if you don’t want grump kids at the end of the school day, then make sure they are getting to be on time.

  • Get organised

Prepare the night before.  Get their bags packed, lunches made if you can so that when the morning comes, you can get off to school with as little stress as possible – for them AND for you!

  • How was their day?

Don’t just how was your day to your kids, also ask them if they did anything that was fun?  Who did they play with at lunch?  What did they learn?  Take an interest in their day and really listen to them and you’d be surprised at how quickly your kids will look forward to the ‘good stuff’ of school.

  • Give them space

In those first few weeks of school, especially your younger kids, might come home from school a bit worn out.  Be a little more relaxed with screen time as maybe the kids simply want some time to ‘chill out’.  Go for a walk or take the dog for a walk as a family and put a little space in their day.  Be patient if they are tired and help them with any homework until they get back into the swing of the school day routine.

  • Touch base with their teachers

Don’t wait for parent/teacher interviews.  Shoot off a quick email to the teacher of child and just check in on how they are settling into school and how they are behaving in the classroom.  Working with the school will help your kids settle in faster and reduce your stress levels.  Maybe the teacher will send an email back letting you know that they are doing just great!

February can be a crazy month for everyone. We often joke that Australia doesn’t really turn back ‘on’ until after Australia day, but hopefully these 5 little tips will help you get the kids settled because as parents as well, we know, if the kids aren’t happy, neither are you! 

Why we take before and after photos on every job

Posted on by Warren Ballantyne

We often get asked why we take before and after photos on every job, but once we explain why, it will make perfect sense.

The problem with gutters are that they are up high on your roof edge.  This doesn’t lend itself to being able to see what is in your gutters or what they look like after we have completed our vacuum clean of your gutters.  Also, you shouldn’t have to climb a ladder to inspect our work because for a lot of customers, that is exactly why they have us clean their gutters so they DON’T have to go up a ladder.

By simply taking a before and after photo of the gutters, we are able to show our customers just what was in their gutters and then also show the proof of our work and that the gutters are now clean and free to do their intended purpose.

It is such a simple solution to allow our customers have that peace of mind that we have done the work and it means they don’t have to be left wondering or climb up a ladder to see for themselves.  Our before and after photos is one of the most commonly commented on parts of our service – our customers love them! 

For our commercial customers, before and after photos are not just a feel good factor, they are also proof of service and can be forwarded onto parties that need to know they gutters have been vacuum cleaned, but don’t need to be on site or even in the same city or state for that matter.

For a lot of companies and individuals, they can also keep these photos as a record of the service which is also great from an insurance perspective.

Such a simple little addition to our services, yet one of the most important things we do.

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