Listen, home improvement and maintenance are big jobs. Every homeowner knows that.
After you pay all of that money and get involved in the mortgage, with home insurance and everything else, you start to realize that your property is a complex organism with its own needs and its own conditions.
For example, the roof is what covers everything else, and it needs integrity to function well. The gutter system functions to take water away from the building footprint, so that it doesn’t destroy the foundation or cause other kinds of problems over time.
Here’s the trick as far as gutters are concerned – in order to access them, whether it’s to inspect them for debris or actually clean them out, you almost always have to get up on a ladder.
Downspouts are easier, although if they’re clogged at the top, you’re going to have to get that ladder out anyway!
That leads to some specific considerations for homeowners who may be concerned about how to logistically get these kinds of maintenance done.
Ladder Safety
Recently we were talking to a friend of ours who is a medical doctor, in family practice. He was remarking with passion about the number of people he sees who fell off ladders and have broken bones and other conditions that require long-term physical therapy work.
He also talked about how impact injuries can be fatal by developing blood clots.
“It only takes one wrong move,” he said illustrating how problems with ladder positioning or body pressure can leave an inexperienced person hurtling toward the ground.
Professional Gutter Work
He’s not wrong about any of those things, and one way to get around this is to hire professionals who know what they’re doing to come in and clean your gutters every year.
That way, you get peace of mind about your property’s overall condition and safeguarding your investment in it, but you also don’t expose yourself to physical harm.
That’s not to say that nobody can do their own gutters and get up on the ladder to clean them out, but for goodness’ sake, do it carefully. Don’t hurry and don’t ignore the kinds of gravitational forces that could cause you injury!
Here’s another thing about professional gutter work – the economy of scale means that our specialized pros are much less likely to incur an injury, because they do this every day.
Ladder safety is very much something that is learned. Professionals even learn how to intuitively understand their risk by feeling how their body is leaning. On the other hand, think about someone who’s making those first shaky steps up the ladder for the first time. The unknowns are potentially debilitating and possibly dangerous.
Again, yes, people can get up on ladders themselves, but if you have any concerns you can also call a professional shop that cares about your property. Let us help you!