How Do You Clean Out Old Gutter Guards

Learn How To Clean Out Old Gutter Guards

In this article we chat about different types of cleaning methods for cleaning out your old gutter guards. Difficulty and methods vary when it comes to cleaning out gutter guards so stay tuned!

Safety First

First things first, we wish to warn that roof accessing is a hazardous activity for those whom are not equipped or experienced. Make sure you feel comfortable and confident on your roof. Call in professional gutter guard experts if you are unsure. Stay safe!

How to Clean Rolled in Gutter Guards

Rolled In gutter guards have been covered in brief in our article types of leaf guards. They are often one of the easiest meshes to clean out and come in lengths of about 8 metres and more. One of the most popular types of rolled in gutter guards is the well known Triple-G gutter guard system seen in the above photo.

1. The Rolled In guard will be poked into the outside of the gutter so just pull it toward the roof and lift it up to dislodge from the edge and continue along the entire length of gutter.
2. Then place the mesh length on the roof while you clean out the gutter. Do this with gloves on and if needed also flush along the gutter as a final step to clear out sludge. If the mesh is really dirty you may need to take it down to ground level to clean it separately
3. Once the gutter is clean just pop the mesh back into the gutter edge. If the rolled in guard won’t stay snugly, you can use some roof silicone to glue the mesh to the roll bead edge.

How to Clean Clipped in Gutter Guards (Metal Plumbers Guard)

These metal type guards can be the most awkward to remove and reinstall.

1. Best tool for unclipping this guard is a small flathead screwdriver. Gently move along the gutter edge while carefully levering the clipped gutter guard upwards. Avoid using too much force because the screwdriver can damage the gutters.
2. With the gutter guard unclipped from the edge you can now pull it out and up away from the roof edge. You may need to move roof tiles as Clipped In gutter guards sometimes go under the bottom roof tile.
3. Clean out the gutter with a good pair of gloves on your hands and flush with water!
4. Clipping this gutter guard back in can be more trouble than it’s worth, so you may decide to dispose of the metal pieces. Unfortunately Clipped In gutter guards were not really designed well for re-installation.

How to Clean Screwed in Gutter Guards (Ski-Slope Style Guards)

These premium gutter guards will be screwed to the gutter top edge with about 3-4 screws per metre usually with either Philipshead screws or small hex head screws. Your most important tool will be a powered drill set, preferably a battery operated driver drill because electrical leads will be a hazard on the roof.

1. With your screwdriver or powered driver remove the screws from the gutter edge. Careful not to drop the screws down. If you don’t have a tool belt pouch you can place these screws in your pocket as you work. If you remove all screws the angle trims will fall down. The angle trim is a 1-2 metre length of steel that goes between the screws and the gutter mesh. You can actually leave one of the end screws in place so the trims don’t fall.
2. If you have left one screw in place for each trim, just swivel the trim outwards from the roof edge so it sticks out to the air. If you have removed all screws it’s best to put the loose trim onto the roof itself.
3. Lift up the mesh enough so you can get your gloved hands and your cleaning tools inside the gutter to do the cleaning.
4. When you’ve finished cleaning, put the angle trims back and replace all the screws back in the same holes.

How to Clean Bottle Brush Gutter Guards (On the ground)

Bottle brush gutter guards can be the easiest to clean. But they are also the most dirty. Because of their make up they will probably be caked with weed growth and mud.

1. Pull out the Bottle Brush section and drop it on the ground. It is often best to clean the bottle brush guard on the ground but see below for our alternative method from the roof.
2. Dirt can flick everywhere from the bristles, so at this point it’s advised to have some form of eye protection such as sunglasses on. Wearing gloves on both hands you can grip the bottle brush and agitate the bristles repeatedly to dislodge all the dirt away. If necessary also use a hose to wash the bottle brushes
3. Clean the gutter and simply push your bottle brush guards back in the gutters

How to Clean Bottle Brush Gutter Guards (On the Roof)

This method involves sitting on the roof edge as you work and is best suited if the brushes are not terribly caked with dirt and weeds. Just like the above method, be sure to have eye protection.

1. Remove the brush guards and grip them with two hands. Using your gloved hands agitate the bristles while holding the brushes over the roof edges. This can be a messy method as all the particles of dirt from the gutter guard bristles will fall down to ground.
2. Once the sections of bottle brush gutter guard are clean you can rest them on the roof surface as you then clean out the gutter.
3. Finally put the gutter guard back into the gutters and you’re done.

We hope this article can help you to plan a service for your gutter guards. Please don’t rush in when cleaning out your gutter guards, take care to plan the best approach. Please call 1300 LEAFSHIELD (1300532374) if you need professional assistance by our trained experts. Contact us today!