The Gutter Blower

There are a lot of methods used today in keeping gutters clean and clog-free. Most homeowners list “gutter cleaning” as one of the most hated tasks in home maintenance. Either they feel lazy or they don't want to risk falling. Or they don’t want to risk finding random debris. This includes a number of things such as your child's ball, someone's slipper, insects such as bees and earthworms or birds or critters nesting in the gutter! In most cases, people settle for paying someone to do the dirty work. On the other hand, they may choose to resort to an easier alternative: the gutter blower.

Advantages

The gutter blower is an excellent tool, especially if there are no gutter guards installed. No numerous trips up and down the ladder, just let the blower sort out the dried leaves and other gutter debris. Most of the preferred leaf blowers are gas powered and can be handheld or as a backpack. It comes with several parts and you can specify that to the hardware store to give you the best pieces that will fit best. There are vacuum tubes that are long enough to reach the roof and the other piece that is curved goes to the other end.

Why do you think gutter blowers are a good tool in cleaning? Simple, no going up and down the ladder. No risk of falling; and people seem to have fun blowing the leaves away. There are those individuals that prefer going to the roof and using the blower to thoroughly blow everything out. Using a leaf blower saves time in the long run and people always prefer to minimize time when it comes to maintenance projects.

Disadvantages

However, leaf blowers have a disadvantage too. Gas consumption can be another punch in your pockets. Leaf blowers come with goggles and ear guards because they can be very noisy. You might not have any issues with this,but your neighbors might find the it a distraction. Some will be irritated by the noise! This isn't recommended in neighborhoods where houses are close to each other. Leaf blowers literally stir up a small storm of dust and other allergens. So even though you may have a face mask on – others that are close by might suffer. After cleaning your gutters, notice the mess it creates and the time spent in cleaning everything up. At this point you may want to ask yourself if this method really does save time?

Before you purchase a leaf blower, consider the disadvantages first. Your neighbors might not approve of this, plus it could just be more tiring and time consuming than you originally thought it would be. Cleaning the gutters and cleaning the mess you created afterward just makes you more tired. Have you thought of getting gutter guards? Having gutter guards will ease up the task of cleaning your gutters as most of the debris will be kept away from getting inside.

What do you think about leaf blowers? Does it save time or make gutter cleaning harder? Join the discussion at the Hallett Gutter Cover Facebook page.