gutter-vac brisbane Archives

Going Solar: The Benefits and Challenges of Solar Panels

Posted on March 9, 2021March 9, 2021 by Phillip Valencour

Solar panels are an excellent investment.

With technology improving every single year, the level of power they can provide for your home is continually increasing and energy storage provides non-stop power come rain, shine or solar eclipse.

Solar panel maintenance is essential though and being aware of the potential issues of rooftop panelling will maintain efficiency and give your panels a longer lifespan, providing free power and better return on your investment.

Follow these five tips to make more of your solar:

1. Clean Surfaces Make More Power

Salt residue, leaf litter and day-to-day grime can build up quickly on your panel surfaces. Over time, the efficiency of your panels will decrease, making less power and reducing your return on investment. By keeping your panels clean, you will maximise their effectiveness and make your money back far sooner.

2. An Added Fire Hazard

As we have mentioned before, leaf build-up in gutters, valleys and elsewhere can create a potential fire hazard and increase your property’s damage risk in the event of a domestic or bushfire. Solar panels also create potential a collection point for loose, dry leaves and increased fire risk. By regularly cleaning around and beneath your panels, you will remove this hazard.

3. Vermin Love Solar Too

It’s warm, it’s cosy and it’s sheltered from the rain – what better place to roost, nest and raise your young than under a solar panel! Birds, mice, squirrels and other vermin view solar panels as prime real estate and this can be a disaster for homeowners in several ways.

Pigeon poo can become toxic over time and can damage your solar panels, surrounding roof, the paving below, and even your health. Nesting materials are not only messy, they will also add to that fire risk we mentioned. Lastly, there’s the noise factor. Between the squawking and squeaking, vermin can make for restless nights and frustrating days, so preventing the issue with wire mesh and other devices has numerous benefits.

4. Smaller Pest Issues

It’s not only larger vermin that can create dramas with your solar panels; smaller bugs and insects can also take up residence around your solar panelling. The issue with this is twofold: firstly, they can damage and decrease the lifespan and efficiency of your panels. Secondly, termites, cockroaches and other pests can migrate into your home, causing damage to timbers and property.

By using pest control products, you can eliminate or deter infestations and avoid these issues.

5. Gutter-Vac is Your One-Stop Solution

Cleaning your own solar panels is an option, but without an angled roofing ladder it can be both challenging and dangerous. Also, if there is a build-up of pigeon mess, protective equipment will be essential to keep you safe.

Without the correct tools, you can risk scratching or damaging your solar panels, reducing efficiency, voiding warranties and potentially breaking them completely.

Pest control products can also be damaging to your health so again, without the correct gear, this can be a risky job to tackle yourself.

Gutter-Vac franchisees are fully equipped to deal with all of these circumstances, removing the hassle and risk of tackling the job yourself.

Using specialised products, we remove and deter pests of all kinds with repellent solutions for insects and long-lasting coated stainless steel mesh to prevent vermin from nesting beneath or around your solar panels. We also use professional clips for vermin mesh, protecting your panels from damage without voiding warranty.

Professionally maintaining your solar panels is essential to help keep them efficient and protecting your return on investment for many years to come.

Contact Gutter-Vac today for a quote on your solar panel maintenance.

5 safety reasons to get your gutters professionally cleaned

Posted on February 19, 2021January 27, 2021 by Phillip Valencour

Clean gutters are safe gutters, but this is true in more ways than you might think.

Here are our top five reasons why having your gutters professionally Gutter-Vac cleaned can improve the safety of your home, and reduce risk to you and your family:

PROPER EQUIPMENT.
Without the proper equipment – including roof ladders, cherry pickers and our famous Gutter-Vac – cleaning gutters can be risky and even damage your roof. Ladders that are too short, unsteady or incorrectly used can make you job hard, but can also make your gutter cleaning result in a painful fall and a trip to the emergency room.

Even with tough gardening gloves, jagged gutter edges or foreign objects, including sharp sticks, metal or glass, can lead to cuts and injuries if cleaning your gutters by hand.
PROTECTING YOUR PROPERTY.
As above, if you don’t have the right gear, you’ll take unnecessary risks. Leaning a ladder against your guttering is not only unsafe, it can also lead to gutter damage, denting or even causing them to be torn from your property. Depending on your roof, without a proper roof ladder, clambering around up top can cause damage to tiling, panelling or roof sheeting. You might even put a foot wrong, leading to a hole in your roof, or a big drop for you.
KEEPING YOU SAFE.
As mentioned above, lack of proper equipment can lead to personal injury, but the positioning of your gutters can also be dangerous. Over-reaching not only puts you off-balance, it can also put a lot of strain on your body. This can simply result in a few aches the next day, but in some circumstances, it might even cause muscle or joint damage.
FIRE RISK.
We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again! Full gutters are fire hazards. It’s obvious that dry leaves catch fire very easily, but if you leave them for a long time and they mulch and then dry out, this dense compost can also lead to slow-burn danger. The embers can stay alight inside the mulch, so even though it may be damp on the outside and no flames will be visible, these embers may reignite hours after you think the danger has passed.
BEYOND YOUR GUTTERS.
These are all dangers associated with the gutters themselves, but over-spill from full gutters can also be hazardous. If not managed, it can cause a build-up of mould or algae, leading to slippery pavers and other ground surfaces. Even after you’ve fixed your gutters, without thoroughly scrubbing the ground below, this dangerous, slippery surface will remain. It may dry out and seem fine, but the next time it rains you’ll have an ice rink to deal with again. Even without the mould, glazed tiles can be slippery in the wet, and excess water can cause your lawn to turn into a muddy mess, again leading to possible slide-outs.

Some things just aren’t worth the risk! An appointment with Gutter-Vac not only saves you time, it also protects you and your home from injury and damage.

5 Ways Clean Gutters Improve Your Property’s Longevity

Posted on February 9, 2021January 27, 2021 by Phillip Valencour

A service from Gutter-Vac will obviously clean your gutters, improve drainage and enhance the look of your property. But did you know it can also help you to protect your home and save money? Here are five ways clogged gutters can lead to property damage, even personal injury, and the benefits you gain from clean gutters:

We have spoken before about the fire risk caused by dry leaves collecting in your gutters and roof valleys. These act as the perfect tinder for wildfires, increasing the chance of the fire taking hold in your roof timbers.
The weight of the leaves, especially if left to soak and mulch over time, will add increased stress on your gutter fastenings, potentially leading to their damage or even collapse in the next heavy downpour. Even if they remain in place, the build-up can cause them to warp, affecting their function.
If your roof trusses extend beyond your walls, such as with overhanging eaves, or if you have timber fascia close to your gutters, this damp mulch will also lead to rotting roof timbers and panels. Once this takes hold, no amount of gutter cleaning will prevent it taking hold and seeping deeper into your timbers, which will eventually need completely replacing – a very costly process.
Obviously, if a gutter is full, or even half-full, of organic scrap, there is nowhere for the water to go. Run-off can be really inconvenient, especially around doorways or covered outdoor areas, such as roofed patios, and can also create a slipping hazard.

More than the hassle of a small waterfall cascading over your front porch, this run-off can damage lawns, turn your backyard into a muddy mangrove and cause water to pool and flood. Again this can become a treacherous hazard and lead to a pesky mosquito infestation! Run-off can also discolour, even erode pavers, tiling or bitumen over time. And, without the rainwater being properly diverted away from your property, it can even begin to damage your walls, leading to damp and mould within the walls and inside your home.
Properly-functioning gutters also have the benefit of taking the water where you want it to go. You can divert it to ornamental ponds, waterways or even top up your swimming pool, if properly treated and filtered. This takes it away from your property, lessening the chance of it causing damage.

If you’re an avid gardener, you can even collect the water in a barrel to use on your lawn or beds in drier times, saving a significant amount on your monthly water bills.

Keeping your gutters clean is about much more than keeping your house looking good. It is an investment in protecting your home for years to come. So call Gutter-Vac today for a quote and invest in the longevity of your home.

Call 1300 654 253

Going Solar: The Benefits and Challenges of Solar Panels

Tag: gutter-vac brisbane

Going Solar: The Benefits and Challenges of Solar Panels

5 safety reasons to get your gutters professionally cleaned

5 Ways Clean Gutters Improve Your Property’s Longevity

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