Take care of your gutters, and they'll take care of you!
10 Handy Hints To Make Your Gutters Last Longer and Function Better
Published on Jan. 10, 2025
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Splashblock Anchor
Do those plastic downspout splashblocks tend to wander away from the foundation of your house, allowing water to seep into the basement? To prevent this, drill two holes through the hefty corners of the plastic at the back end. To anchor it, drive two large spikes through the holes into the ground.
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Gutter Protector
Do you manage to cave in your gutters every time you lean a ladder against them? Then try this:
In the areas where you’ll place your ladder, drill two 3/16-in. holes and drive two 7-in. galvanized spikes with 5-in. ferrules into the gutters behind where each leg rests. The ferrules will support the weight of the ladder instead of the gutter. Most home centers sell standard gutter spikes and ferrules.
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Gutter Straightener
Ice on your roof can bend the spikes that secure gutters to the soffit fascia as it melts and slides off. To straighten the spikes without removing them or the gutters, use a two-foot length of angle iron and a heavy metal chain link with the center section cut out of one side.
Working from a ladder (be careful!), you’ll find that the angle iron and chain link provide easy leverage to straighten out the spike and get the gutters back in alignment.
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Gutter Cleaner
Clean your one-story-high gutters right from the ground with an old paint roller on an extension handle. It’s angled just right to push leaves and debris out quickly and easily.
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Annoying Drips
Is the sound of dripping in your downspouts driving you mad? Eliminate the problem by tying a rope onto one of the gutter hangers and running it down into the downspout. Drops of water will cling to the rope instead of plummeting the whole length of the downspout.
Adding a rope does restrict water flow, so think twice if your gutter tends to overflow or if your downspout clogs with twigs and leaves. Choose a rope made of a synthetic like nylon; one made from natural fibers will rot away.
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Gutter Inspector
Time to clean the gutters? You don’t need a ladder to find out. Attach a hand mirror to the end of a PVC pipe. Cut the pipe at a 60-degree angle so the mirror reflects an inside view of the gutter. Here’s how to install gutters.
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Gutter Cleaner
This gutter cleaner takes about 10 minutes to make and will save you time and ladder climbing. Use 3/4-in. PVC pipe, two elbows, a garden hose coupling and a cap.
Drill four 1/16-in. holes in the cap as shown. Make the handle as long as you need to comfortably reach your gutters, and cement the parts together.
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Caulking-Tube Scoop
An empty caulking tube cut in half at a 45-degree angle makes a handy scoop with a comfortable handle. It’s exactly the right size for cleaning gutters.
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Clear Out Clogged Leaves
Your plumber’s snake is a great tool for pulling clumps of wet leaves out of clogged downspouts.
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Downspout in the Way
Are you tired of removing your downspouts every time you mow? Consider installing a hinge where the lowest elbow meets the section of downspout that runs into your yard.
Install it easily: Just cut the downspout at a 45-degree angle with a tin snips or metal-cutting blade, and then fasten a two-piece zip hinge with eight sheet-metal screws. The hinges come in white only, so you might have to spray paint them to match.
