Vacuum Gutter Cleaning vs Hand Cleaning Gutters

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Vacuum Gutter Cleaning vs Hand Cleaning Gutters

There are multiple ways of completing a gutter clean.

  • Vacuum gutter cleaning
  • Hand cleaning
  • Washing gutters (not recommended as water can flow back into the roof cavity

Vacuum Cleaning Gutters

Vacuum cleaning gutters is an effective and efficient method of cleaning. All the debris and sludge is removed from the gutter. Vacuuming the corrosive sludge regularly will prolong the life of the guttering.

Blockages in the downpipe to the first bend are removed. If there are blockages further down, we can use a gutter snake to loosen and flush the debris. A plumber will be required if blockages are underground.

Hiring Gutter-Vac Northern and Southern Tasmania to vacuum clean your gutters will take less time and will leave the job site clean and tidy.

Hand Cleaning

Cleaning gutters by hand is a longer process. The technician removes the debris, places it in a bucket, and collects the waste in a bale bag at the vehicle. This is time-consuming and physical. Climbing the ladder with the bucket or lowering it to the ground on a rope to empty each time it is full, could mean multiple trips off the roof, depending on the amount of debris in the gutters.

It is less likely you will remove all debris and the sludge that sits on the bottom of the gutter. Pulling out wet debris can cause a huge mess on the roof, side of the gutter, and on the ground. Therefore, clean-up now must be factored in.

 Some gutters have very little gap to get a hand into, thereby, not being able to remove any debris.

What is the Best Method for Cleaning Gutters?

Our team believes vacuum cleaning is the better and most efficient method to clean gutters. Sometimes the technicians must hand clean the gutters prior to vacuuming, as the gutters have bark and sticks in them which block the hose.

There are sites that don’t have access for our vehicles or are too high for our equipment to reach. Our technicians do have to hand clean these types of jobs. Our technicians do their very best to ensure the gutters are as clean as they can get.

You can request a free quote here or call us on 1300 654 253. Our office team will endeavour to organise a gutter clean using the best method to complete a professional service. Gutter-Vac Northern and Southern Tasmania strive to make accommodations for the uniqueness of each property.

Deloraine Gutter Cleaning Service Really Appreciated

“Really appreciated Chris’s communication and advice on managing the gutters going forward. Great service, highly recommend.”

Melissa, Deloraine TAS

We endeavour to advise the best recommendations for our clients. The technician will provide a report after the job is completed. The recommendations include the frequency of your gutter cleaning maintenance. If you have issues such as cracked or broken tiles, loose sheets of iron, problems with flashing around the flue/chimney, and things that just don’t look right. If you have solar panels, we can let you know if they require a clean.

If you are on site at the time of the clean, you could talk to the technician or email us in the office to set your own schedule for gutter cleaning maintenance.

Thank you for the great feedback, Melissa. It is much appreciated.

Great Communication Provided to Our Gutter Cleaning Customer in Kingston

“Operator arrived at time specified. Very pleasant young man. Was very conscious of safety. I had an enthusiastic 5 year old with me & operator alerted us to his needing to move heavy equipment near where we were venturing!”

Marie, Kingston Tasmania

Our team at Gutter-Vac Northern and Southern Tasmania loved reading this feedback. We are trained in safety and strive to ensure the customers, people around us and ourselves are always safe.  All our technicians have their Working at Heights certificate and we are fully insured to work at any height.

We are pleased to hear the communication our technicians share with the people on site. Thank you for your feedback, Marie.

A Maintenance Plan For Gutter Cleaning

Don’t have any trees around you?

Think you don’t need a gutter clean?

A layer of silt or growth that year after year builds up slowly and sits there – too heavy for rainwater to move will remain in your gutter.

Gutters may not be blocked or even overflow. There is damage being done, as the surface in contact with the layer of dirt/debris doesn’t dry out. Surface rust can start and it is only a matter of time if left unattended that rust sets in and holes appear.

Anything that sits on any surface for a period will weather it. A mossy, wet deck leads to rotted timbers if it does not dry out. A roof will deteriorate if debris if left to sit and build up. With this in mind, it makes sense to clean the gutter on a regular basis. It can help prevent long term dirt and grime build up leading to rusty guttering.

So, What Now?

If you have a rental property, or are part of a body corporate, or are unable to clean your own gutters, having a maintenance plan saves you over the long term. Proactive measures are better than replacing guttering after the fact and dealing with any damage caused as a result.

As part of our service, we offer ongoing maintenance plans for your property as well as our roof and gutter reports. We also provide before and after photos of the work completed. Regular gutter cleaning will look different for each property. Depending on the debris loading, amount of trees around or lack of, we can provide a suggested maintenance period or you can set your own. A reminder will be sent to you and there is no obligation to approve the gutter clean. It is an easy process to set up and you don’t have to worry about remembering, we do it all for you.

Overflowing Gutters in Hobart

“Great result, have had overflowing gutters for a few years, and finally got around to getting them done, they were full of old leaves. The comparison photos really helped understand how bad they were, and the condition report and recommendations were a great bonus. Thanks.”

Matt, Hobart Tasmania

Allowing gutters to overflow and create blockages, may cause fundamental issues to the foundations of the house. Getting your gutters cleaned regularly allows them to flow freely as well as increase their lifespan. One of the reasons we send out our before and after photos is so clients can see the state of their gutters and the result of our clean. It shows the importance in the maintenance of keeping gutters clear.

The roof report is a service we offer at no extra charge and all of our clients receive one. As many of our clients do not access their roof, the report allows us to let them know if anything is amiss and needs attention.

Thank you for the great feedback Matt, it is very appreciated.

Do You Have Small Trees Growing In Your Gutter?

The gutters are not the place for a tree to grow. The roots take hold of the gutter and the inside of the roof. Blockages occur and water ingress can be a result. We clean the valleys and any other area on the building that collects debris. Laserlite roofs of pergolas that are built on to make a barbeque area can sometimes catch debris on the roof and gutter line of the house.

This church has debris growing above the doorway, as pictured below. It is not a valley or gutter as such but a build-up that has allowed plants to take hold. These plants have grown in size and have now embedded their roots into the mortar and sandstone. We are going to have to poison them and wait for them to die, for removal. Should we try to pull out the plants, we risk damage to the sandstone and the building.

It is not a good idea to leave plants growing in the gutters or anywhere else on the building. If you can see plants give us a call and we can organise a free quote. We take away all the rubbish or we can leave you the plants to transfer to a better place for growing other than your gutters.

Great Gutter Cleaning Results in Electrona

“Punctual arrival, work was completed quickly and was quieter than I had expected. After the service, I was briefed quickly. Invoice and report with photos arrived a few days later. Good service, would use again, and happy to recommend.”

Merilyn, Electrona Tasmania

We provide our clients a time period for arrival and the majority of the time we arrive on schedule. In the event that we arrive earlier or later than expected, our customers will be contacted by our technicians or the office staff. Our office team strive to have our reports, photos and invoices sent out the day after the work is completed.

We love receiving all customer feedback. We are so glad to hear you were happy with our service. Thank you, Merilyn.

Northern Tasmania Enjoys Gutter Cleaning and Solar Panel Cleaning

Our Northern customers are delighted with their gutter cleaning service.

Did you know we also clean solar panels too?

When you combine a solar panel clean with a gutter clean, we offer a reduced rate to clean the solar panels.

It makes sense to combine the two jobs as we are already on the roof and it ticks two maintenance tasks off the list. Cleaning your solar panels regularly can increase their efficiency.

Staymesh Gutter Guard

Another job we do for our customers is supplying and installing Staymesh gutter guard for bird proofing. A tell-tale sign that birds are in your roof is that annoying wake up call in the morning. They bring their nesting material to the roof and the gutters get littered with it.

We usually suggest Staymesh, as it is an easier product to remove and clean the gutter. It is a stronger product than the roll of gutter guard and the birds have difficulty pushing past it.

Installing a gutter guard does not negate cleaning the gutters. If a fixed guard is installed, it can be four to fives times the cost of a gutter clean, when the next clean is required.

You can use a gutter guard as a stop gap to prevent a build-up of debris. We can advise the best course of action in situations where you are having blockage and overflow issues. This is a result of the amount of debris that collects over a short period of time.

As stated above, using gutter guard does not negate ever cleaning the gutters again. Gutter guards are used in conjunction with gutter cleaning to maintain a maintenance plan. They keep the water flowing freely in the gutter system and prevent possible blockages and water ingress.

We can provide you with a free quote. Click on the link, Request a Quote OR Call 1300 654 253

Kingston Gutter Cleaning Review

“Chris was friendly, efficient and even cleaned the roof of my sunroom which was unexpected. The gutters look great and the solar panels gleam! All this for a very reasonable price!”

Terri, Kingston Hobart Tasmania

Another great review from a Kingston gutter cleaning customer. Thank you, Terri.

Damage to Eaves From Sealing the Overflow Pipes

We attended a job for a real estate who had mould and dampness issues.

The real estate manager let us know they were having issues on their work order, therefore we were expecting to find very full gutters.

We could not work out why the eaves had so much mould and mildew on the underside of them.

While vacuuming the little debris in the gutters, we found that the overflow pipes had been sealed shut. Someone had silicone the flaps closed to stop the water from escaping. We concluded, the constant water from this pipe must have annoyed a previous tenant as it was over the bedroom window.

The roof was quite large and therefore filled the gutter quickly. In times of heavier rain, the overflow pipe is there to allow the water to escape. It is important for the water to flow down the pipes fast enough.

In sealing this overflow, the water has had nowhere else to go, other than the eaves and inside the cavity and down the inside walls, as it could not drain to the down pipe fast enough.

We cleaned the gutters and removed the silicone from the flap of the overflow pipe. 

The damage to the eaves needs to be repaired. First you would need to kill the mould and then you could repaint. But it can be hard to remove mould and staining may show through the new paint.