If we are able to access the gutters from the roof (when the slope and shingle type allows) we follow WCB standards for fall protection, meaning we wear full body harnesses that are connected to a secure anchor point.

If we are not able to walk on the roof, we will access the gutter by ladder. Stand-off bars are used so that we don’t actually set the ladder on the metal of the gutter, but rather the edge of the roof just above.

There are many different ways people clean gutters, vacuums, blowers, water fed poles and even robots! We have been cleaning gutters for a long time, and after experimenting with these sorts of products, we found that like many things, the old fashioned way does the best job. Vacuums will plug, blowers create a mess, robots will spin out when exposed to extreme debris, and water fed poles do little to actually remove dirt and leaves. Hand scooping using our contoured scoops always does a great job regardless of what is in your gutters.

Having clean gutters is an important part of home maintenance. With clogged gutters, rain water will splash over the lip and because it isn’t being properly diverted, it could seep back into your home’s foundation causing a flood, cause soil erosion, or rot the portion of the roof that meets the gutter. During the winter a clogged gutter can cause a dangerous ice patch where people walk. A simple gutter clean is an excellent investment!

If you do not have a suitable place for us to dump the waste, we will take it away for you and dispose of it ourselves.

We are generally not in favour of installing gutter guards for two simple reasons. 1. No gutter guard system will eliminate the need to clean your gutters in the future. Although some companies sell the product with this premise, the simple fact is that if the guard has holes to accept water into the gutter, fine shingle grit and dust will also enter the gutter. 2. When the inevitable gutter cleaning is required, the gutter guards take a moderately time consuming task and make it an extensive one. Gutter guards come in a variety of shapes and materials, and some are even bolted on. To properly clean the gutters, they need to be removed, and if the homeowner is in favour, they need to be reinstalled when the cleaning is complete.

Unless you’re in an area with a lot of large trees, and you find yourself having to clean the gutters more than twice a year, we do not recommend the installation of gutter guards.

When we are done the job, the nails holding in our fall protection anchor get removed. When that happens, we apply a commercial-grade roof tar to cover up the small holes. The integrity of this adhesive is stronger than the shingles themselves, so there is no risk of complications in the future.

No, we never put our ladders against gutters, we use stand-off bars any time we are accessing a roof.