Clogged gutters can cause a lot of problems with your home and need to be avoided. A blocked gutter can be a breeding place for mosquitoes, it can damage your roof, and is simply not a pleasant sight. However, it’s also something that’s best left to the professionals. Cleaning your gutters on your own is one of the most dangerous home-care tasks out there. An influx of emergency room visits occurs every year as a result of ladder accidents. There are a variety of other dangers related to cleaning your gutters, too. Here’s why you should call in the professionals.
Falling from the Ladder
First and foremost, you risk falling off of the ladder you use to climb up to your gutters. To clean your gutters, you typically use some sort of equipment to make the task easier. Protective gloves obstruct your grip on the ladder. Juggling tools, cords, or other materials can put you off balance. Even the most well-balanced person can suffer a dangerous fall if they’re trying to do something unfamiliar. Professional gutter cleaners, on the other hand, do this task daily. They can climb ladders and balance items without a spare thought.
Ladder Falling Over
Even if you hold onto the ladder just fine, the ladder itself may fall. Home ladders are rarely maintained as well as professional ladders, which makes them less safe. Uneven ground, poor positioning, and wind can all lead to ladders falling over, too. These falls are potentially more dangerous than simply falling off the ladder, because the ladder may land on you.
Vertigo
Climbing up to your roof can be dangerous even if you don’t fall. Heights give many people serious vertigo and dizziness. These can easily lead to falls, but they are seriously unpleasant even if they don’t. Vertigo can make it impossible to clean your gutters effectively. It can also trigger headaches or migraines, and it will make the process even more unpleasant than it normally is.
Improper Installation
If your gutters are not properly installed, they can be dangerous on their own. A poorly-installed gutter may come loose or bend when a ladder is leaned against it. This can result in you or the ladder falling. Gutters that were installed incorrectly can also cut you with sharp edges or damage your house when you try to clean them.
Contact with Electrical Wiring
Most gutters are made of metal. That makes them great at conducting electricity, even when they shouldn’t. When you’re trying to clean your gutters, you may end up getting shocked if you aren’t very careful. An electrical line that isn’t ground or a fallen wire may lead to your gutters having a deadly current running through them. Outside of that, it’s all too easy to brush a power line when you’re up on a ladder at your roof.
Expert Gutter Cleaning in Beverly, MA
The experts at Reynolds Seamless Gutter are used to all of these hazards. Our team has decades of experience in cleaning and installing top quality gutters, and we are more than happy to clean yours and assess their efficacy to ensure your drainage system is fully functional. If you are near Beverly, MA, give us a call today! 978-927-5732