Commercial Site Maintenance with Gutter-Vac

Request Quote Now Your local franchisee will contact you!

Top Franchise 2017

Commercial Site Maintenance with Gutter-Vac

With over 20 years’ experience in commercial property maintenance, we have the experience to ensure your property’s management for clean windows, gutters and surfaces with no fuss.

Here are five reasons to talk to Gutter-Vac about your property maintenance.

1. We Know Your Business

We have worked with schools, governments, retail and commercial businesses and more. Because of this, we appreciate the need to work to your schedules, opening hours and other requirements to minimise disruption. Our operators have been trained in workplace health and safety for educational facilities and work sites, undertaking jobs in school holidays, outside office hours or by isolating our work area for the safety of staff, students and the general public.

2. We Are Fully Equipped

Our operators have all the tools they need to provide the highest level of professional service. High windows and roofing are always within reach, power cleaning is all in a day’s work and safety always comes first, so whatever the job, you can be assured that our team will have the gear to make it happen.

3. Workplace Safety

Our providers have to undertake a training program to make sure all workplace safety practices are upheld. From working at height to protecting your property, safety within the work area is an integral part of our service. We also carry a minimum of $20,000,000 in public and product liability insurance, so in the unlikely event that something does go wrong, you won’t be picking up the bill.

4. We provide Clean Cleaning

Our products are non-toxic and environmentally responsible. This helps to protect your local area, your staff and customers and the planet, giving you peace of mind that, whether it is during our service or in the following days, you won’t need to vacate the area or concern yourself with the possibility of nasty chemicals floating around.

5. Professional, Every Step of the Way

We have been providing our service for over two decades, so we know what it means to have a provider you can depend on. We can meet with you to create a customised maintenance schedule, giving you repeat service without the need to remember or book. If you have multiple properties, we can also centralise your service, allowing you to have a single account to cover numerous buildings and regions from the one place. Further to this, we can even consolidate your accounts, so no matter how many jobs you need, you’ll only ever receive the one bill.

So, whatever your business, Gutter-Vac will give you the professional service you require, at the right time and with every consideration already confirmed.

Contact your local Gutter-Vac operator today to discuss your commercial needs.

Birds, The Issues They Cause in Your Gutter And Roof!

We recently completed the gutters on a commercial site. The building is a large hall. The roof has vents at along the ridge of the roof. The openings are big enough for the birds to enter and roost in the roof.

Gutter Cleaning Huonville

The birds have made their home here. Their playground is the roof top. They drop grass and nesting materials as they bring it into the vent to make their nest. Their droppings have grass seed in it and this cultivates in the rich sludge that collects in the gutters over the year.

Combined, the result is shown in the above photos. The gutters are overgrown with grass, potentially blocking gutters and down pipes. It can allow water ingress into the roof cavity, resulting in water damage to the inside of the building.

Birds nesting in the roof will be noisy. The main issue would be the hazardous flammable materials they use to build their nests. They are vermin and carry bird lice. Over time the bird droppings build up in the cavity and could pose a health hazard as  they can spread zoonotic diseases.

The best course of action is to remove the birds and ensure there are no eggs in the nests. The best time is when they leave the space and it is not laying season.

Block the entry points, so as to not allow them back into the roof space. They will be determined to get back in. You need to make sure you use a robust material to keep them out.

Then you will need to remove the nesting material and  guano from inside the cavity. You will also need to decontaminate the area to eliminate the mites and fleas birds carry.

The cleaning process should be undertaken by a professional, as they have the correct equipment to protect themselves from the health hazards associated with this work.

Box Gutters Collect Debris in Rosny Park

These box gutters collect a lot of debris from the gum trees overhead. They are cleaned every three months and each time they are full of debris.

Commercial Gutter Clean Rosny Park
BEFORE
Commercial Gutter Clean Rosny Park
AFTER

A box gutter is designed to remove the rainwater from the roof, directing the water along the gutter to the rain head or sump where the down pipes take the water away from the building. A good box gutter will fall correctly allowing the water to flow easily to the rain head and enter the large down pipe. When this sump gets full of debris, you run the risk of water not being removed from the gutter and blockages from debris being deposited into the down pipes.

Leaving moist leaves and debris to sit in a box gutter shortens the life span. Moss would also be another reason to clean. A box gutter is wide and there maybe enough room for the water to flow around and away but if this debris is left to sit in the gutter it will corrode your gutter that much faster. This then causes problems such as water ingress.

Box gutters are expensive  as there is a lot more work involved to install one and very costly if you incur any leaking issues. Damage to ceilings and any internal repairs could be an expensive exercise.

The best course of action for you if you have box gutters would be to maintain regular gutter cleaning. Even if you have no trees around you, your gutter could do with a vacuum to remove any corroding debris lurking just under the lip of the roof.

Gutter-Vac Tasmania have maintenance programs that cater to whatever you require. Call today to see what your box gutter needs. PH 1300 654 253

Commercial Gutter Cleaning

Can Gutter-Vac Mackay clean gutters on commercial buildings?

The very short answer is yes!  In fact, for years we have been working heavily with commercial buildings, lifestyle and retirement villages, industrial buildings (such as Bunnings), body corporates for large (and small) unit blocks and many more!

The reasons that our commercial customers love what we do – besides great vacuum gutter cleaning – are:

  • Fast and efficient (minimal disruption to work, customers or residents)
  • Safety (fully safety trained and insured for our customers piece of mind and company requirements)
  • Before and After photos (Keep on file for their records and insurance records)
  • Roof and Gutter report (whilst we are up there, we can let customers know of any other issues that may be yet unnoticed and need attention)
  • Invoiced with GST (because we are a professional company, not a backyard mob!)
  • We are professional (always treat customers and residents with respect)

So if you are the property manager of a large commercial building or multiple buildings, give us a call because we would be more than happy to come onsite and discuss your needs and put together a quote for all of your gutter cleaning needs.

Give Keith a call on 1300 654 253 (local call) or email mackay@guttervac.com.au

PS.  Ask about the other services we can do as well for our commercial customers such as solar panel cleaning and pressure cleaning.

Commercial Gutter Cleaning in Mona Vale Prevents Water Damage

When gutters aren’t cleaned regularly, leaves, twigs, dust and sludge build up. Eventually, this debris will prevent your gutter system from doing its job. Even worse, when rainwater can’t escape through your gutter system, it will find other ways to escape – like into your roof cavity – or it pools and causes your gutters to overflow and rust.

Water leaking into your roof cavity can cause thousands of dollars of damage. In a business property, depending on where the leak occurs, any stock or equipment that’s damaged will need to be replaced. The combined cost of stock or equipment replacement and building repairs can quickly escalate which may not be covered by your insurance policy. But all of these problems can be prevented with a regular roof and gutter clean.

A commercial property in Mona Vale was having issues with water ingress in the back corner of the property with the gutters overflowing with debris. In heavy downpours the gutter system couldn’t handle the large amount of rainwater. As a result, the water pooled and then dispersed into the roof cavity or overflowed the guttering to run down the side of the building.

If you are concerned your property may be at risk of water damage due to debris collecting on your roof or in your gutters, call Gutter-Vac Upper North Shore & Northern Beaches on 1300 654 253.

Not only can we prevent any problems happening next time it rains, we can also design a regular maintenance plan to suit your budget and the needs of your premises.

Gutter Cleaning for Body Corporates / Strata Managers.

When a property has a common roof line or common ground or shared areas, then they are generally under a body corporate arrangement. That is that each owner of the properties (think units and townhouses or villas) will pay a nominated amount each week or month to cover the maintenance and insurances for those areas. 

This obviously includes the gutters and then of course the gutter cleaning. 

Generally the gutter cleaning is budgeted for each and every year to be carried out by a trained professional who of course can not only complete the job, but also do so in a safe manner with full insurance.   That’s why we get the call !

Many home owners – particularly of townhouses – give us a call when they need their gutters cleaned, maybe as they have an overflowing gutter.  This is not something in many cases that you need to foot the bill for.  You do need to get the work approved by the body corporate manager (or strata manager) before getting it done, but often cases, you have already paid for it in your body corporate fees.

We do a lot of work from body corporate managers because to put it simply, gutter cleaning is not really their top priority.  They have a lot of moving parts, a lot of things to organise and take care of on behalf of the owners within that body corporate.  Add to that, they will be managing many – if not hundreds – of body corporate properties.  So gutter cleaning is on their to do list as a top priority.

But that’s why they love to use Gutter-Vac.

They love that we have all of our paper work and insurances sorted.  Takes away many a headache trying to get a contractor to provide all the paperwork (licences, insurances, contact details) that they are REQUIRED to have on file.

They love that we are fully insured and use all of our specialised safety gear.  Peace of mind for them!

They love that we can give them a written quote – before their deadlines!  They need to get quotes prior to the meetings with the owners body corporate committee and if a tradesperson doesn’t get the quote to them prior to the meeting, they are left feeling red faced and will have to wait months, perhaps even a year, for another chance to get the quote approved at the next meeting.

They love that when we say we will be there we are there and if for some reason, such as weather we can’t do the work on the set day, we will communicate with them.  They are never left wondering.

They love that we do before and after photos plus a roof report as this all is great value for them to give to the owners committee to show what is being done plus alerting them of any potential roof issues.  Prevention is always better than cure.

They love that we will remind them when a property is due for its next gutter clean.  As we said, they have so much on their to do list each day … often urgent matters that need to be taken care of asap.  Remember who needs what and when – especially the gutter cleaning – is something that is missed.  We give them a reminder and then they look great to the owners because they are keeping up with the regular maintenance.

Many of our franchisees have been working with body corporate companies and specific managers for years.  They have built ups such a relationship and trust that the managers simply email when they need a quote or work to be done… they don’t even have to pick up the phone.

So if you are living in or own a property that is part of a body corporate, no need to worry or pay to have your gutters cleaned, but you might want to check that the body corporate managers are using Gutter-Vac so that you truly can take this item off your mind, knowing that we have got you covers.  

Pass on our details – 1300 654 253 (local call through to your local Gutter-Vac franchisee) or visit www.guttervac.com.au

Ladder safety when cleaning gutters.

Did you know that more injuries occur from people falling off ladders than they do off a roof?

A fall from a ladder can be just as severe as a fall from the roof, sometimes worse!

Remember years ago when Molly Meldrum was putting up Christmas lights and fell from the ladder?  He wasn’t even very high up when he fell and this left him in a critical state with a fractured skull, fractured ribs and a punctured lung that sent him straight to ICU.

So many people figure they will just DIY clean their gutters.  Even though cleaning your gutters by hand with a bucket isn’t really all that efficient or effective, people think they are saving themselves a few hundred bucks, but what they are really doing is putting themselves and their family into real danger.  What would happen to your family financially if you fell from the ladder and ended up in ICU for weeks if not months?  

Ladders are so easy to lose your balance from.  Many people using ladders don’t even follow simple ladder safety techniques such as working from a stable base and ensuring your ladder is secured to the property.  They then reach too far, climb up or down too fast, don’t wear the correct footwear, try to carry too many items or balance them or they are simply distracted.

A lot of commercial operations from schools to commercial warehouses, have a 1 rung rule.  That is, if you have to go up more than 1 rung on a ladder, then safety gear is required following a set of safety guidelines.

This is why so many commercial companies and organisations get us in to clean their gutters.  They won’t risk the safety of their own staff because they know that need someone trained and insured to do the job and their jobs can be in the vicinity of thousands of dollars. 

Is your health, you families financial stability, really worth you saving a few hundred dollars and risking it by doing it yourself?

Why not give us a call on 1300 654 253 for a free quote… maybe it won’t only mean your get your gutters cleaned, but it is also a pretty good insurance right?

Cleaning gutters on multi-storey buildings. How we do it …

Every day we come across different types of properties where we need to access the gutters so that we can vacuum clean them.  Some properties are new, some are old (even heritage listed), some are commercial and some are domestic homes.  They come in all different shapes and sizes…. And heights!

Working on the roof safely is our number one priority so there are all sorts of ways we can access the roof to your gutters cleaned.

Some properties is it simple as using a ladder to access the roof.  Not only do we secure our ladders before climbing up, we also have a variety of ladder types and sizes.  Not just like a standard domestic use ladder, we have ladders that can be used in all situations and some come with ‘add ons’ such as different feet to make sure our ladder is stable.  We can even use the big grand daddies of ladders that are 3+ metres! 

Depending on the roof and property, sometimes we can access a property from one location and then use our remote drum system to move along the length of the roof, without having to get off the roof to reposition our machinery.  Think like a property on a hill side that is one story at the street level (so easy for us to access), but the back of the property is at least 3 storey’s above a cliff edge with no access. 

We can also use multiple ladders to access from the ground to roof and then use a second ladder to grow from roof to roof levels.   Think about a split level property.

For large commercial jobs (we even do buildings like aircraft hangers and multi-story buildings) we may need to get an elevated work platform like a cherry picker or a scissor lift.  We even organise this for you, so don’t worry, we have got you covered.

Some roofs are simply too dangerous to be on, no matter how well trained you are or how good your safety gear is and in those case, we have a ground worker’s kit that we can use to access the gutters to vacuum clean – all from the ground. We can do up to 3 storey’s high using this method.  It also comes in handy for those little roofs you can’t get on even though they are not even a story high like a garden shed or patio.

So if you have a property that you thought was simply ‘too big’ or ‘too high’ to have the gutters cleaned then give us a call because with our 20+ years of experience, we know all the ways to get the gutters cleaned…. Safely!

Call us for a free quote on 1300 654 253 or request a quote online at www.guttervac.com.au

Winter is here … are your gutters cleaned?

Having your gutters cleaned is such a simple thing to do to maintain your home.  The potential damage that just a small blocked gutter can do to your home or property can be huge.

We all know that the intended purpose of a gutter is to take the water that falls onto the roof of your property and divert it to the drains, away from your home.  Now if your gutter has even a small blockage that will prevent this flow of water, that’s where the problems start.

Most people assume (incorrectly) that the water will simply ‘overflow’ over the edge of the gutter and onto the ground.  Yes, some of the water will do that, but more often, the first way the water flows is over the edge of your gutter BACK TOWARDS your home.  It will overflow into your ceiling cavity, down the walls (inside and out) and can cause significant water damage. 

And it doesn’t have to be after a big rainfall either.  If you have an unnoticed blockage with an overflowing gutter that is not overflowing on the front of the gutter where you will see  it, but only back towards your house, then these small amounts of water, over an extended period of time will really cause serious water damage issues to your home that will be expensive to fix. 

We always get inundated with calls after the first big rainfall because that is when people notice their gutters are blocked and overflowing.  We suggest not waiting for the first big rainfall, it is a part of your maintenance that needs to be done at least every 12 months.

If you haven’t had your gutters cleaned in years and haven’t had overflowing gutters, then don’t assume you are safe!  Maybe they are not overflowing yet, but maybe this is the year that the build up in your gutters gets to the blockage size!

If is not the leaves that are the problem in your gutters.  It is when they break down and start to form a muddy sludge that sits in the bottom of your gutters.  This sludge starts to create almost like a dam wall or simple build up covering the bottom of your gutter, then covering up the bottom half of your gutter and then continuing to grow layer on layer.

So if you haven’t had your gutters cleaned in a few years, winter arriving is a good reminder that it is time to get them cleaned and don’t risk the potential expensive damage to your home for such a simple task to organise.  All you need to do is pick up the phone, make a local phone call to 1300 654 253 and you will be connected to your local Gutter-Vac Franchisees who can provide you with a free quote.

Our 5 step gutter cleaning process. Your guarantee – we will do what we promise.

  1. We Vacuum Everything
    At Gutter-Vac Upper North Shore & Northern Beaches we literally vacuum everything out of your gutters! That’s all the dust, sludge, dirt, mud, leaves and twigs. Then we take it with us when we leave – unless you’d like to use it in your compost bin.
  2. Downpipes
    We also clear the top end of your downpipes – down to the first bend where 95% of blockages occur. So next time there’s a heavy downpour, you can be confident your downpipes are clear and ready for work.
  3. Roof Valleys
    Next we do the roof valleys. They’re important as they are the most likely place for water to get into the ceiling. In heavy rain, leaves can become stuck in roof valleys. This has a damming affect which can lead to water entering your roof cavity. In older homes, roof valleys are usually made from galvanised steel which will rust if leaves and debris are allowed to collect on them. This will cause leaks. (You’ll know if your roof valleys aren’t working efficiently as you will see a stain on your ceiling.)
  4. No Mess
    Lastly, we commit to leaving no mess behind – which includes inside your roof cavity. (Operators who use blowers to clean the gutters blow leaves into the roof cavity where it dries out to become a potential fire hazard!)
  5. Report
    Finally, we’ll give you a Roof & Gutter Report. It will include before and after photos as well as a personalised Preventative Maintenance Program with every standard gutter cleaning service.

For further information call us on 1300 654 253 or visit our website