Leaf Blowers for Fall Gutter Cleanup

Gutter cleaning: it might be the most dreaded of all the fall cleanup chores. It's messy. It's smelly. It's a far cry from a slow, relaxing hayride through a pumpkin patch. 

But gutter cleaning doesn't have to be as difficult or unpleasant as it used to be. Tools like your trusty leaf blower can make cleaning leaves, twigs, and other types of debris out of your gutters quick and painless.

Why Clean Your Gutters?

Like all dirt and debris, leaves and other yard waste that accumulate in your gutters do more than just smell bad. Overflowing gutters can lead to all sorts of problems:

• Rodents, insects, and other pests looking for places to hide or nest
• Pollen and other allergens collecting close to your home's windows
• Sagging gutters and loose attachments that can cause damage to the roof
• Ice dams that form when water overflows a gutter and freezes, causing more moisture to back up and get trapped in a house's structural parts

If all of that wasn't enough, clogged gutters simply look bad and reduce the aesthetics of a home, too.

How to Clean Gutters with a Blower

The traditional method of gutter cleaning involved putting on the thickest, most water-resistant pair of gloves you owned, climbing a ladder, and reaching into your gutters to grab whatever muck was in there and pull it out.

You can imagine why people began using powered leaf blowers to accomplish the task instead.

These days, with the power of a blower in your hands, you don't even have to climb a ladder to clear your gutters of dry debris. You can reach it safely by connecting a gutter extension kit.

A gutter kit is a series of tubes designed to connect to your handheld leaf blower's nozzle and extend your blower's reach. The piece at the farthest end from your leaf blower will be curved so that you can reach over the gutter's edge and aim the airflow toward the debris.

The best part? You can use your leaf blower and your leaf blower gutter attachment with both of your feet firmly on the ground.

Tips for Using a Gutter Kit

As tempting as it might be to attach your gutter blower attachment to your blower and immediately start shooting leaves and twigs out of your gutter, it helps to know how to use it safely and effectively first.

1. Choose the Right Kit

Certain manufacturers' gutter kits are universal and can fit any brand of handheld leaf blower. Others are designed to work only with the same brand of leaf blower. Check the kit's details before you buy.

Additionally, your gutter kit might require your blower to be capable of producing a certain minimum air volume (measured in cubic feet per minute, or CFM) or a certain air speed (measured in miles per hour, or MPH). Be sure that your blower can produce the power that your kit requires.

2. Fit the Kit Properly to a Backpack Blower

Some kits can also be used with the backpack leaf blowers commonly seen on landscaping professionals. If you'd like to explore this option, check that your kit is compatible.

You might have to remove your backpack blower's tube for the kit to fit.

3. Wear the Proper Gear

When you blow leaves out of your gutter, you're going to send debris flying every which way. Not only that; you'll also be using a loud piece of power equipment that can potentially damage your hearing.

Before starting to clean, make sure you're wearing the proper safety gear:

• Safety glasses or eye protection
• Ear plugs or hearing protectors
• A respiratory mask (to prevent dust inhalation)
  
  

4. Be Prepared for Wet and Dry Debris

It's the same as using your blower on the ground: with the gutter kit attached, your handheld leaf blower will be most helpful for moving dry leaves and debris and less useful when it's used on wet, damp debris.

If it's been a while since you've cleaned your gutters, or it's rained recently, and you find wet leaves and mud at the bottom of your gutters, first clear the dry debris with your leaf blower. Then, use a hose or a pressure washer on a low setting to clear the wet debris.

5. Work Toward the Downspout at an Angle

If you can turn and adjust the nozzle on your gutter cleaning extension kit, turn it so that the opening faces away from the tube at about a 30 to 45-degree angle.

Work toward your gutter's downspout, but make sure not to push any debris into the spout, which can get clogged.

If your downspout is clogged, you might be able to loosen the debris in one of several ways: 

• Aiming your gutter kit's nozzle into it from the top
• Aiming the nozzle on an extension wand attached to a hose or pressure washer into it from the top
• Vacuuming the clog from the bottom of the spout
• Inserting a plumbing snake or drain auger into the downspout

With regular cleaning, however, you should be able to prevent and avoid the worst of the gutter clogs. And that can leave you free to enjoy hayrides, pumpkin patches, and all the other good things that fall has to offer.

NEXT: How to Use a Leaf Blower All Year Long