The GutterBrush Blog

This is the time of year when a cold snap can come in anytime and catch you by surprise if your home is not yet prepped for winter.  Here are nine things to check in preparing your home for the coming winter season.

1. Heating System: Your home’s heating system is the front line of defense in keeping your home warm. You need to make sure the furnace or boiler is working before you need it.
2. Air Conditioner: Your window air conditioner or central air conditioner condensing unit needs a little prepping too in order to make it through the winter. You need to prepare the condensing unit for storage including cleaning our leaves and covering the condenser.
3. Chimney and Fireplace: A wood burning fireplace and chimney can be a major source of cold air leaks and other issues in winter. Make sure to check and inspect your fireplace, including making sure the flue operates properly and checking your firebrick.
4. Plumbing: Burst pipes from freezing can cause some of the most expensive repairs in the home. Make sure you protect your plumbing from freezing with techniques such as heating and insulating your pipes. It is also critically important to remove your hoses from any outside faucets.
5. Insulation: The simple process of insulating can reduce energy costs. this includes getting an insulating blanket for your water heater, foam sealing gaskets for outlets and blocking fireplace drafts with a piece of fiberglass insulation.
6. Weather-stripping: An easy way to reduce you heating bill from infiltration is to reduce these drafts of doors and windows with simple weather-stripping.
7. Roof and Gutters: Check your roof and gutters for leaves and debris. Frozen wet leaves in gutters are major source of damage. Protect your gutters with a gutter protection system like GutterBrush.
   
8. Sprinkler System: Another key element of your home winterization plan is winterizing your sprinkler system to prevent your lines from bursting.
9. Landscape: Lastly comes preparing your landscape and equipment for the winter including outdoor deck, furniture and lawn equipment preparation.

By taking a few hours and preparing your home for winter you can get closer to a trouble free winter and just sit back and enjoy the scenery!

They sure do look nice but they are also the primary reason a house should have clean gutters and gutter protection.

Falling leaves and other rotting debris can get stuck in the gutters of a house that are unprotected. This may not seem like a big deal since from the ground a person cannot see the leaves and rot in the gutters, but rot and leaves in gutter can create big problems including significant water damage and landscaping destruction. Gutters are on the house to help with drainage and gutter protection such as gutterbrush makes this an easier job. When the gutters on a roof are filled up with, leaves, debris and rot they no longer can work properly. Once a gutter that is not protected with gutter brush simple gutter guard  is clogged there is no longer any room for water to flow down through the gutters from the roof down the downspout and out to the ground. When the water backs up in the gutters it can spill over in places that can cause water damage to the house and landscaping. Many basements will become flooded because there is not proper drainage from the roof because the gutters are clogged and remain unprotected. The water needs a place to go and if it is not draining in the right place it can cause a lot of water problems. GutterBrush can solve this problem simply and effectively.

Rot and leaf guards

A great way to protect roof gutters from falling leaves and water damage is by using  the gutter brush simple gutterguard. However, there are many companies that make  leaf guards for roof gutters so please shop around for the one that will work best for you. But be sure to choose one that can be used on your particular size of gutter. Water must be able to pass through the guard, but leaves and other debris should not be able to get through to clog the gutters. Gutterguards like gutterbrush simple gutter guard are easily installed and  fit the size of the gutter perfectly.

Cleaning roof gutters

One very simple, but time consuming way to protect a home from clogged gutters is for a person to clean out the gutters. A person can hire someone to clean their gutters or do it themselves. It is kind of a messy job but does not require a lot of tools to complete. A person will need a ladder, gloves, a garbage bag, and a small tool (such as a trowel) to get the leaves and rot out of the gutter. Since the leaves fall from the trees in the fall, it would be smart to clean out the gutters after the leaves have all fallen from the trees and then install gutter protection so you are ready for the rainy season and falling leaves in the future. That way the person does not have to clean out the gutters more than once. However, in some parts of the country the first snow may fall before a person is able to clean out their gutters. If there is not a day during the fall that a person can clean out their gutters they should try to do it as early in the spring as possible to avoid drainage problems.

Lose the trees to solve the clogged gutter problem?

Trees are beautiful in any yard. They are a great addition to landscaping. But when these beautiful trees hang over a person’s house they can cause more harm than good. Not only could it be dangerous when there is a strong wind but even a soft wind that blows the leaves off of the tree can cause some damage. Leaves from a tree that hangs over a roof can easily get caught in the gutter more than a tree that is across the yard. To alleviate the problem a person can cut down the trees that have a lot of leaves that hang over their house. It is important that a person takes a lot of precaution when cutting down a tree that hangs over their house. A branch could easily fall and damage the house. A person could hire someone who cuts down the trees professionally to do the job. This is probably not the best course of action from an environmental or aesthetic perspective and could be avoided by using a gutter protection system such as gutterbrush. Either way you should think long and hard about how to protect your property form costly water damage due to clogged gutters.

Good luck and remember to put safety first!

Are you hunting for a better way to keep leaves and other debris out of your gutters? There’s plenty of options on the market but almost all of them involve costly installation. Almost all of them. GutterBrush is so simple to install that it should take you just a few minutes to get almost your entire house done. No hassle. No continued expense.

Hopefully this video inspires you to make sure your gutters are not clogged and to get gutter protection from gutterbrush.com!

Clogged Gutters Are A Disaster In The Making! Protect Them From Clogging With Gutterbrush!

We do not know anybody who likes cleaning rain gutters on their property. It’s time consuming and often, frankly, completely nasty, especially if you do not keep up with it on a somewhat regular basis. If you are like many homeowners and think “I’ll take care of that next weekend”, you could end up with massive clogs in your gutters and downspouts…clogs which will cost hundreds of dollars to repair because you have to call a gutter professional to come out, take down your downspouts, clean them out and put them all back together. Instead of spending all of that time and money, why not just install a gutter brush?

The original gutterbrush simple gutter guard will save you time and you won’t have to worry about costly clogs in your downspouts. The product looks like a giant pipe cleaning brush and it sits in your rain gutter channel and acts as a barrier for leaves, twigs, seedpods and other debris while still letting water pass through freely and out the downspout.

Installation is simple and fast. The most difficult part is climbing the ladder up to your roof to set the original gutterbrush down inside of it. But that’s it…you’re done! More importantly they are easy to clean if you ever need to do so. All you have to do is climb back up that pesky ladder; pull the brushes out, remove the debris and put them right back into place.

Why spend a bunch of money if you don’t have to? Why spend a bunch of time cleaning something if you don’t have to? The original GutterBrush is very affordable and you can install it yourself in about an hour and a half and it lasts all year (studies have proven they can also keep your gutters from freezing in the winter). Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Don’t be fooled by imitations that are manufactured outside of the USA using sub standard materials. Insist on the original GutterBrush SImple Gutter Guard!

visit www.gutterbrush.com for more information about this great product.

GutterBrush Guys, Ltd. began offering their simple, affordable, and effective gutter protection system back in 2004 and continues to grow at a very strong yet responsible pace. GutterBrush Guys Ltd. continues to increase our customer base, retail network, and e-commerce presence. Gutterbrush Guys, Ltd. are now focusing on giving, roofers, contractors, painters, and any home service professional the most complete and comprehensive opportunity available for a very competitively priced and profitable professional grade gutter protection system.

Visit www.gutterbrush.com for complete gutter protection information, installation instructions, and an informative installation video for the gutter, roofing, and general contractor or home services professional.  GutterBrush Guys, ltd. also encourages you to visit the web presence of the other gutter protection and leaf guard products available on the market today because they are certain that not a single one provides the same level of detail and information that they dodetail. The GutterBrush Guys, Ltd. present the quality, simplicity, and affordable nature of their product in a transparent way so you can see the value of the opprotunity they are presenting to you. They also spell out their warranty, have detailed installation instructions, as well as an abundance of information covering important safety issues surrounding working with gutter protection.

The GutterBrush Guys, Ltd. also are very happy to offer qualified partners a unique and very effective demo unit that clearly shows the consumer the simplicity, effectiveness, and professional grade quality of GutterBrush simple gutter guard.  The GutterBrush Guys, Ltd. have a solid track record of offering a superior gutter protection product and completely believe that current economic challenges makes their product a welcome and profitable addition to any home service professional’s product/service offerings.

Gutter Brush Guys, Ltd. would like to extend an invitation to any home services professional currently offering roofing and/or gutter protection systems to visit the GutterBrush web site at www.gutterbrush.com and consider becoming an authorized GutterBrush partner and/or installer.

Learn more about GutterBrush simple gutter guard and all things gutter related at www.gutterbrush.com

All of us here at GutterBrush are always on the lookout for simple,  effective and affordable ways to help people protect their property. Here is a common scam that police are always warning homeowners about this time of year. The scam artists in this ruse target homeowners by pretending to be out-of-work handymen. they approach homeowners and offer to do work around their property, usually cleaning gutters or paving driveways. The suspects claim they are out-of-work because of the bad economy, but say they still have their equipment and can offer the homeowner a good deal. The scam artists then tell the victim they need cash up front to purchase supplies. After pretending to start the work, the suspects then take off with the money. Always beware of paying for any home improvement job up front. Also, ask for insurance certification from the contractor as well as contact information you can verify. We hope this helps you avoid becoming a victim of this common scam.

So you think a few leaves and twigs in your gutters are harmless? Think again. Regular gutter cleaning is arguably the single most important key to avoiding major and expensive home repairs.

Gutters perform one duty: controlling the water around your home. If debris keeps gutters from doing their job, you can wind up with some serious problems. By following these simple gutter cleaning tips, you can help avoid major and expensive home repairs.

• Leaking Gutters: Clogged gutters are the number one cause of basement water problems. When gutters are clogged, roof water overflows and accumulates around the foundation. If this happens, basement leaks may be moments away.
• Cracked Foundations: Clogged gutters can cause excess water against the foundation wall to weaken the footing and lead to foundation wall cracks. This is particularly true in the colder months when built-up water at the foundation freezes and causes a condition known as “frost-heave” which can cause severe cracks to foundation walls.
• Rotten Wood: Water backing up from clogged gutters will cause moisture damage to the wood fascia around the house. The rotted area will quickly get worse if the leak is not eliminated by cleaning the gutters.
• Leaking Roofs: In winter, ice dams can form on top of clogged gutters. Snow then builds up across the top of the clogged gutter and freezes. During the next thaw, water running off the roof is blocked by the frozen snow and backs up into the house. This can lead to major wall and ceiling damage.
• Slippery Sidewalks: Overflowing gutters can deposit water on walks and driveways where it can freeze and cause a tripping hazard. Avoid this problem by keeping gutters clean and the spouts extended away from any traffic areas.
• Cracked Driveways: Misdirected and clogged gutter spouts often cause driveways and walks to sag and crack.
• Washed Out Landscaping: Any newly installed plants, grass or trees can be killed by excess water from clogged gutters. Overflowing gutters can cause severe erosion and put an early end to young plantings.
• Wood Destroying Insects: Bugs love moisture. Keeping gutters free of clogs and keeping the soil dry around the foundation perimeter can force bugs to go elsewhere for a tasty snack of dampened two-by-four.

If you think your gutters need a good cleaning, here are some important tips to follow:

Safety First: If you are not comfortable with heights or don’t use tall ladders regularly, cleaning gutters is not a job for you. Consider hiring a handyman to help. If you decide to do the gutter cleaning job yourself, watch out for hidden hazards like electric lines and bee’s nests.

Clean Gutters: Using a ladder, work gloves and a hose, clear the gutters beginning at one end and moving to the other. Always work from the ladder and not from the roof, where you could fall off. If you find any loose gutter sections, tighten them up as you go along. It may help to have a supply of long lag bolts to use when replacing loose or missing gutter spikes. Lag bolts won’t pull out like spikes, so you usually don’t have to do this more than once.

Spray Spouts: When you get to the end of the gutter where the spout is, spray the hose down the gutter spout to make sure it’s clear. If the spout is clogged, water will back up and cause problems. Clearing clogged spouts can be a chore. Try removing the debris from both ends and flushing out the rest with a hose. If this doesn’t work you may need to take the spout apart to clear it. Once the spouts are clear, make sure the discharge end is extended at least 4 to 6 feet away from the house to avoid problems.

Install Gutter Guards: Once the gutter system is cleaned and properly adjusted, consider installing gutter guards such as GutterBrush to avoid a repeat performance in the future.

There are many types of gutter guards available. Filter types work very well. Screens can be effective in the short run but eventually allow debris to get through. Clogs will reoccur and can be even harder to clear since the screens will need to be removed first. Leaf blocking guards, which look like a metal louver that is installed above the gutter, are a more costly but more effective option at keeping leaves off gutters. The louvers allow water to leak into the gutter while washing leaves over the side.

No matter what gutter product you choose, it is important that you check gutters periodically as well as be mindful of signs of clogging like over-flowing in a rainstorm.  Maintaining a clean gutter is the single most effective way to avoid a whole host of serious and expensive problems.

Even though great strides have been made in achieving equality in both the workplace and household, women are usually still the ones who do the household chores and the home cleaning tasks. However, when it comes to cleaning clogged gutters, most women are not looking to engage in this task and often frown at the idea of getting their hands covered in the dark, smelly muck in the gutters. Even independent minded women who do not usually ask favors from men, wouldn’t have the interest of performing a cleaning task which may leave their hands smelling unpleasant for weeks. However, GutterBrush gutter guard has delighted many women since its introduction to the market seven years ago. Aside from being an effective gutter guard against leaves and falling debris that can cause clogs and water overflow in gutters, there are at least three reasons why this simple gutter protection system has attracted the interest and gained the favor of female customers.

First, it is the easy installment feature of GutterBrush that curries favor with the ladies. Many women are not very interested in technical features and thus, they tend to get easily bored with most talk about complex gutter protection systems that require professional installation or routine maintenance. GutterBrush harnesses  a simple design of repelling/blocking debris while allowing water to flow right on through. GutterBrush is so simple, there is not even a need for a sales representative to explain how the product works and how the product is installed. It can be done simply and easily.

The second reason is that GutterBrush greatly reduces any gutter maintenance needed to keep them working properly.  Any product that does not require daily or weekly cleaning is likely to be appealing to everyone. Thus, a gutter protection product such as GutterBrush that barely needs maintenance once or twice a year is certainly an irresistible product to the do it yourself homeowner and this obviously includes a large population of women who fit that bill.

The third reason this product is so very appealing is the price. Both men and women are probably very interested in economical products and services in these challenging times and Gutterbrush fits the bill on both counts. Other systems can cost thousands of dollars to purchase and then have installed where GutterBrush can be purchased and installed for only a few hundred dollars for the average sized home. The bottom line is that everyone can benefit from GutterBrush due to its being simple, affordable and effective.

As always, whenever you start a home improvement or maintenance project safety must always be in the forefront of your mind. that’s right, safety first. Always.