The GutterBrush Blog

Power Washing the House - Photo by J-Nellie

If you’re anything like me, you have a “hit list” of chores that you would do anything to put off. Besides being unpleasant and time consuming, some of the jobs I avoid most are the jobs that are tediously boring. I especially dislike cleaning work and for the most part, climbing ladders. However, I’ve discovered some quick fixes to help make sure that hard to reach doesn’t have to mean hard to clean.

If dizzying heights have kept you from dusting the cob-webs out of ceiling corners, you may be relieved to know that many household vacuums come equipped with extension tools that help you reach ceilings. Using these tools allows you to dust off ceilings, window ledges, fans, eaves and architectural overhangs. I’ve also found cleaning from the top down is most efficient because it allows dust to settle on the floor where it will be vacuumed last.

Exterior chores to the home can be a real challenge with high roofs, windows and gutters that require the use of the dreaded ladder. Even on the sunniest of days, trying to maneuver around safely while finishing a job can be a challenge. Plus, leaning the ladder against the gutters often damages them and makes the ladder unsteady.

I’ve come to really appreciate the garden hoses around my house. I’ve found hosing off higher places quickly removes dirt around my eaves, porches and overhangs. At my local Do It Best Store I purchased a nozzle for a few dollars which has several settings that allows me to spray at different speeds and strengths depending on my cleaning needs. For the extra hard to remove mold and dirt stains around my roof, I rented a power washer. In under an hour I was able to have my house looking like new again. I may have to spring for one of these babies.

Now, when it comes to gutter maintenance, I, of course, recommend GutterBrush Gutter Guard as the answer to any homeowner’s gutter clogging problems. Clean your gutters once, then a very quick installation of GutterBrush without tools keeps the stuff out of your rain gutters so you can avoid major gutter cleaning in the future with a clear conscience. Another item I discovered, and now sell, is the Ladder-Max. This standoff makes my extension ladder extremely stable and allows me to rest the ladder against the roof top avoiding damage to gutters. That feature alone convinced me to get add the Ladder-Max Stand Off Stabilizer to my garage.

If the thought of heights or tediously boring work still makes you cringe, I suggest you enlist the help of a friend or family member, or even hiring a handyman or handygal. While a safe and clean environment for your home is important, it’s always more important to stay safe.

Fact is most of us are weekend warriors when it comes to painting our homes. Our primary objective is getting the project looking great as fast as possible. Preferably before we get overwhelmed. Am I right.

Well fortunately, professional painting contractors have a few tips that could greatly shorten the weekend warriors’ learning curve. So enjoy the following tips excerpted from an article on Popular Mechanics with 5 painting contractor pointers that you can use this weekend.

That painting contractor tip alone was worth the read. How many times have you had to put a third coat on the wall to get the color you wanted. I hate third coats.

I learned this one from a painting contractor. He was a master with the extension pole. Attached brushes as well as rollers and never climbed a ladder. Saves a ton of time but takes a bit of practice.

This painting contractor tip is new to me, but I can’t wait to try it.

Read more: Painting Tips – Pro Painting and Primer Tips for Walls – Popular Mechanics

Well there you go. Hopefully, these pro painting contractor tips will come in handy for your upcoming spring projects. To be honest, when it comes to house painting we’re just weekend warriors just like you, however, when it comes to protecting your home from water damage and keeping stuff from clogging your gutters, we certainly know a thing or two. So be sure to give our GutterBrush Gutter Guard web site a visit to learn more.

Whether you’re an experienced handyman or have never picked up a hammer in your life, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which tools and equipment are necessary to own. Besides calling up Mr. Fix-It next door, home improvement stores and local rental centers now provide a full assortment of gear and tools to loan at a reasonable price. Though GutterBrush™ Simple Gutter Guard doesn’t actually require any tools for installation apart from a ladder, I’ve compiled a list of a few recommended items that I believe are required equipment for all homeowners:

1. Extension Ladder
   An extension ladder will come in handy for many jobs around your home. Accessing roof, rain gutters, ceilings and other high locations in your home, a stable and reliable extension ladder really can’t be beat. When an overthrown Frisbee lands on the roof or a burnt out light bulb creeps up in middle of the day, nothing is more convenient then going to your garage and pulling out a dependable ladder. To further the safety and purpose of your extension ladder, we recommend the Ladder-Max Standoff / Stabilizer. This ladder accessory makes just about any extension ladder significantly more stable and allows you to set your ladder against your roof rather than against your gutters, avoiding expensive damage. Frankly, anyone who has an extension ladder should really have a Ladder-Max to go with it.
2. Hammer
   Of all the tools in the world the lowly hammer is probably the most useful around your home. Choose a hammer that feels “right” in your hand in terms of weight and swing. I recommend a hammer with a straight claw over a sharply curved claw.
3. Pliers
   A small assortment of pliers will be invaluable around your home. Hardware stores often have packaged sets of pliers that include straight pliers and needle nose pliers. Needle nose piers have long nose that tapers to a point at the end. They are great for grabbing small objects in tight spots. A set of pliers will also include wire cutters. Many needle nose pliers include a wire cutter as part of the tool as well.
4. Screwdrivers Set
   Screws are one of the most commonly used attachment devices both inside and outside the home. Everything from computer equipment, children’s toys to outlet covers, use screws. Having a set of decent set of manual screwdrivers is a must with so many devices and materials using screws. In addition to this set of manual screwdrivers I also recommend an electric screwdriver. I guarantee you will find so many uses for an electric screwdriver around that house that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one.
5. Wrench Set
   Like screwdrivers, wrenches and come in various sizes and are commonly needed to fasten or loosen nuts and bolts around the home. Wrenches are designed to give the extra torque to fastening agents when hand strength is not enough. I recommend a small set of SAE wrenches from ¼ inch to ¾ inch.  You could consider a set that includes metric wrenches as well; however, unless you’ll be working on your car, metric sizes aren’t often used around the house.  Many hardware auto stores offer wrench sets that package both SAE and metric sizes in one kit. These kits often include Allen wrenches and a socket set that could also prove handy around your home.
6. Level
   From hanging pictures to balancing your washing machine a level sure beats eyeballing it. I recommend a simple straight level that is at least 12 inches long. I’d say avoid the laser levels. The simple torpedo level is often enough tool for just about any job around the house.
7. Power Drill
   Of all the electric power tools to invest in, this is the absolute necessity. With a driving attachment, usually a drill bit, secured to a motorized power source, drills can create holes in a multitude of surfaces. Plus they can also be used to drive screws.  You may be surprised to realize how many times a common fix-it or repair job needs will need a drilled hole as part of the project. Having a well-made drill that will cut through metal, wood and numerous other materials is a wise investment for any household. Though a cordless drill can be convenient, I recommend it only in addition to a good corded drill. I’ve often had to resort to my corded drill when I find that my cordless batteries are dead right when I need to use the drill. When buying the drill make sure that you also pick up a set of drill bits from 1/8 inch to 3/8 inch along with a few screwdriver bits. Again most hardware stores sell kits that include a combination of common drill bits that are helpful around your home.
8. Vise Grips
   Vise grips are like duct tape, there are perhaps a million uses for these locking pliers. I recommend having at least one pair of vise grips.
9. Tape Measure
   Even if you’re less inclined to be making repairs around the house, you’ll still find a tape measurer useful. Lengthier, more pliable and usually easy to carry, the tape measure is more advanced than a common ruler. Being able to measure around corners and high places is needed for a range of things from furniture placement to cutting plywood. In my house, the simple tape measure has proven itself so handy to all members of the family that I often can’t find it when I need it.  Now I have three.
10. Circular Saw
    From cutting a 2×4 to trimming a piece of plywood circular saws are very helpful and definitely preferred over a hand saw. Like the drill I recommend that most homeowners consider a corded circular saw over the cordless models.

One thing that should not be in your garage is GutterBrush Simple Gutter Guard. It should be in your rain gutters where it can keep debris from clogging your gutters reducing time spent on home maintenance. Something else you should know about GutterBrush is that apart from an extension ladder, GutterBrush doesn’t require any tools for installation. It’s simple and effective design can be easily installed by just sliding the brushes into your rain gutters from end to end. The GutterBrush bristles work to keep rain gutter clogging debris out while allowing rain water to enter the full width of the gutter without overflow that is common to many gutter cover systems such as Gutter Helmet®.

Wear and tear on a house is bound to happen. Depending on the age and condition of a home, there are many repairs that should be considered. These problem areas can become costly and time-consuming chores if not addressed early, but by thinking like a handyman homeowners will be able to save money and avoid catastrophic problems.

Unlike contractors, who are typically experts in specific areas, a handyman has general knowledge in a broad range of fields. From screwing in a light bulb to cleaning the gutters, to fixing drywall, their skills can be useful inside and out of a home. Homeowners can also adapt and take pride in the work they accomplish around the house.

A good handyman also knows that there are certain jobs to that should be tackled early on to avoid the potential for future problems and expensive repairs. Having the foresight to see what expenses can result from a leaky faucet or buildup of debris in the rain gutters; handymen are always on the look-out for what can be improved and what can be avoided with preparation. Homeowners should do the same and take inventory of their home; looking for potential hazards or dangers they can repair now to avoid pricey fixes down the road.

A good example lies in your rain gutters. From the soffits to the foundation clear rain gutters go a long way in protecting you home from serious water damage. So, thinking like a handyman would not only have you getting those rain gutters clean, it would also have you thinking about how you can avoid a messy gutter buildup for years to come. After cleaning the gutters, installing GutterBrush gutter guard will keep debris from clogging your gutters for years to come.

While a handyman may be more likely to try new things, a handyman also tends to be methodical and apply his experience by taking on each project just one-step at a time. To many people envisioning every step involved in a project can become overwhelming; however, by concentrating on each step in the project one at a time, handymen are able to be thorough and efficient resulting in a completely finished job. If a project seems too big to consider, think like a handyman by starting at the beginning and look at the project just one step at a time. Evaluate each step in the project from the perspective of whether or not you want to take on that step yourself or perhaps hire it out. Even completing just a few of the steps yourself can save a lot of money and enable you to get more done within your time and budget. This brings us to the next point.

Lastly, homeowners should take advice from the handyman who knows how important it is to set limitations. Giving a job to someone else can often be the correct one, since a poorly executed home improvement project can cause problems for years to come. Taking all of these qualities into account, it’s easy to understand why handymen don’t just rely upon their ability to hammer a nail or screw a bolt. Thoughtful planning and careful consideration are the true tools in a handyman’s chest that any homeowner can learn from.

If you’re interested in learning more about GutterBrush Simple Gutter Guard please visit http://www.GutterBrush.com or call us at 1 (888) 397-9433 for more information.

If you’re a handyman interested in adding GutterBrush Simple Gutter Guard installation as a value-added service to your business, please visit our web site or call 1 (888) 397-9433 to learn more about our contractor program.

Being a homeowner is more than just choosing a place to live, it’s also about committing to a long-term investment. Just like an investment in a stock option or a retirement plan, homeowners will have to invest money into their home to maintain its value. However, they’ll also have to spend time and energy on their home’s maintenance and upkeep to sustain the investment. While many necessary home repairs are unavoidable and potentially expensive, proper care of your rain gutters can go a long way in securing a home’s value with little investment.

Rain gutter installation has become a staple in home construction, and most modern homes offer rain gutters as a standard feature. Since they’ve become so common place, rain gutters often go unnoticed. These frequently overlooked roof attachments are actually very important, not just for the safety and longevity of the roof, but to the entire integrity of the house. Rain gutters serve to redirect water down and away from the surface of the roof, preventing exterior damage that water can cause as it soaks down the siding of a home. Without a sufficient and clean rain gutter system in place, rain water can seep into the interior of the home, including the basement, resulting in cracked and unstable foundations and walls and soffits. Repairs to these types of damages become quite costly, and a homeowner who is unable to correct the problem will see a devaluation of their home.

The best and most efficient method to ensure a home stays intact and valuable is to prevent problems before they start. Properly installed rain gutters are the first step, but it’s also equally important that rain gutters stay clear of debris that could clog up the gutters and impede the flow of rain water. Frequent gutter cleaning may seem like the only option, but GutterBrush Gutter Guard offers an alternate solution. By simply placing the GutterBrush Gutter Guard into your rain gutters from end to end, pesky leaves, debris and pests will be unable to form clogs stopping the flow of rain water through the entire drainage system. GutterBrush Gutter Guard’s bristles simply prevent debris from entering the gutter system allowing the natural weather cycles to blow the debris off the roof. GutterBrush Gutter Guard keeps your gutter clear and flowing to prevent damage and reduce the horrible task of gutter cleaning on an annual basis.

Affordable and easily accessible, GutterBrush Gutter Guard can be purchased in numerous national retailers as well as online. Complete with a satisfaction guarantee, GutterBrush is a risk-free product that avoids hassle some gutter cleaning while still protecting and safe-guarding a home’s most valuable assets.

Your Rain Gutters Are Important

Photo by o5com

Rain gutters are an absolute necessity for the longevity and maintenance of your home, but they can also become a hazardous collecting ground for lots of nasty stuff. This stuff, both natural and man-made, can
suddenly impair the integrity of your rain gutters and allow a new crop of problems to arise.

Anyone who has performed gutter cleaning will admit that it is difficult to tell what is causing clogs since the combination of debris and standing
rainwater as well as the natural decomposition process often results in an unrecognizable mass of sludge. To have a better understanding of how to prevent future rain gutter clogs and what type of gutter guard system to invest in, it’s important to learn what variety of materials and creatures cause harmful clogs and potential health hazards around your home.

Cleaning Gutters? Oh…The Things You Will Find

Leaves and pine needles are some of the more familiarculprits, but they are just a couple of natural plant and tree based shedding in a long list of substances that settle into gutters. Basically, whatever hits your roof will end up in your unprotected gutter. Many homeowners are surprised to learn that they fell victim to these materials, even though they are not in a tree dense area. Heavy winds, driving rain, even the neighbor’s leaf blower
can all cause stuff to get into gutters. We hear from more prospective customers than you might imagine who have found the morning newspaper in the front porch gutter.

Unwanted Pets Moving In?

Seeking shelter from the elements, little critters see your unprotected gutters as a great place to make a new home. Birds, squirrels, and small rodents have all been known to nest in gutters. Transporting and carrying their own new elements of debris, these creatures quickly exacerbate clogging problems. Then how about those pesky mosquitos that breed in the moist environment created by clogged gutters.

Stop Cleaning Gutters & Start Protecting Them

Obviously, no home owner is resistant to the nuisance of junk and crud finding its way into a gutter, but it doesn’t need to become an accumulating problem. GutterBrush Simple Gutter Guard provides a very simple
and affordable solution to keeping stuff out of your gutters so they won’t get clogged. GutterBrush is super easy to install; requiring absolutely no tools other than perhaps a ladder. Just insert each section of GutterBrush into your rain gutters from end to end and the stiff bristles will keep debris out while letting all rain water enter the full width of your gutters.  With GutterBrush those pesky critters won’t want to settle down and man-made items like that morning newspaper won’t become a hidden hazard.

Plus, when compared to alternatives, GutterBrush Gutter Guard is the most effective and affordable gutter guard currently on the market.  For more information please visit GutterBrush web site at http://www.GutterBrush.com.

Now, What’s In Your Gutters?

Some of our customers have reported some pretty crazy stuff they’ve found in their rain gutters.
How about you? Tell us about something unusual you’ve found while perfoming the dreaded task of gutter cleaning using the comment form below. Here’s a tip, we’ve been known to reward unique posts with $25 restaurant gift certificates for doing such things.

There are a number of plumbing repairs that require immediate attention. Chief among these is a clogged drain. Everyone knows the inconvenience and mess that accompany a sluggish drain. Even so, many people wait until the drain stops completely before they take corrective action. Sometimes a clog can be cleared with a simple homemade remedy.

If you have a moderately clogged drain, try this homemade drain cleaner: Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar. Be careful. The two ingredients interact with foaming and fumes, so replace the drain cover loosely. Let the concoction set for about three hours before running water.

If you know the slow drain is from grease, try this treatment: Pour in 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of baking soda followed by a teakettle of boiling water. Allow to sit overnight.

You can keep your drains clog-free and odorless by using the following homemade noncorrosive drain cleaner weekly. Combine 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup table salt, and 1/4 cup cream of tartar. Stir ingredients together thoroughly and pour into a clean, covered jar. Pour 1/4 cup of mixture into drain, and immediately add 1 cup boiling water. Wait 10 seconds, then flush with cold water. Flushing weekly with a generous amount of boiling water also works well.

When it comes to your safety, snow sucks. Sure it’s great to look at, take pictures of, ski down, and throw at friends and / or enemies. However, if you see that your roof has a foot of snow on it and it’s not melting… you may start to get concerned. Luckily, GutterBrush helps get the melted snow (water) safely and quickly down your drain. But what about when you don’t have GutterBrush (gasp!) or the snow is simply not going to melt anytime soon.

It’s Not Worth A Trip To The Hospital

There is a simple way to remove snow from your roof. It doesn’t cost much and you don’t have to climb up onto your roof. However, you should know that no amount of snow is worth a trip to the hospital so be safe out there. Use a ladder when necessary, to pull snow from hard to reach places, but only with the help of a friend or neighbor. Ladders are unsturdy; you should never climb one without someone below you holding it still. Safety is, and should always be, your first priority. Don’t take any  chances with snow removal. It’s simply not worth it.

Ready for the amazing trick? Here goes:

The safest way to clean snow from your roof is with a snow rake. It’s basically a long pole with a flat piece of aluminum attached to the end. A snow rake is ideal for hooking snow and pulling it from the roof. You can build your own by welding a long pole-shaft to a flat piece of aluminum at a ninety degree angle, but for the less adept person, one can be bought on-line or at a local hardware store.

If you’re looking for an already-made snow rake or other ideas on removing snow, there are places that sell snow rakes online like TheRoofRake and other places that actually blast off your snow / ice with steam. (We are in no way affiliated with these companies but wanted to keep you in the know.)

It’s Exhausting

Raking away snow from your roof is very exhausting work but can be made easier by following a few simple steps:

• Use a layering method (short strokes) when raking, pulling the first six inches to a foot of snow off.
• Gradually work your way back from the roof ledge to the center.
• Don’t allow the rake end to come off the roof when pulling the snow over the ledge. By keeping the rake on the roof, you save time and effort as you work.

To protect shingles, don’t use the blade to break up the ice by dropping it against the roof. Without snow cover, ice will melt and flow into the gutter. You don’t have to remove every flake of snow, just enough to alleviate the pressure and weight of snow on your roof.

What Do You Think?

We want to hear your experiences with any of the products mentioned or simply get your advice on how to remove snow from a roof. We have about a foot on ours right now and any advice helps. Thanks!