When You're Up On A Roof, Have A Plan

Roof cleaning, along with gutter cleaning and brightening, are facets of home maintenance that cannot be ignored. Most homeowners just grab a ladder, a bucket, and a hand trowel. A couple of times a year, remove leaves, grit, and grime that often build up and slow roof drainage.

It's no fun, and hardly anyone wants to do it, but still, you push forward.

Pressure washing is one way to rid your roof's drainage systems of debris that can clog openings and drain pipes. By running a strong stream of water through the gutters, much of the gunk will either fly out or be washed out. But the job doesn't stop here. You're still up on the ladder or the roof.

Here are a few gutter cleaning and brightening tips from pressure washing pros:

• Make sure the people around you know you'll be completing this task.
• If you're standing on the roof, wear rubber-soled shoes.
• Wear protective equipment such as goggles and gloves.
• Unclog the downspouts before you start; pressure washing can accomplish this

It's also essential to remove leaves, pine cones, and branches from the roof before you start cleaning the gutters.

Always Be Cautious Coming Down Off The Roof

You know that person -- the one who uses an 8-foot step ladder, climbs to the top rung, and hoists themselves up onto the roof to perform routine roof cleaning or pressure washing. Don't be that person.

Investing in an extension ladder and making sure someone foots the ladder on your way up and on your way down is imperative. It's also vital that this person is verbally communicating with you during the critical moments when you go from ladder to roof or from roof to ladder.

What To Do With The Crud You Remove From The Gutters

Since most of the substances that find their way into your gutters are natural and organic -- dirt, leaves, branches, and tree pitch -- you might consider purchasing a mulcher. The substances already have begun to rot, and anyone who's spent any time around mulch knows what it smells like.

By adding a very moist combination from your gutters to a mulching container or even your mulch pile (cover it with grass clippings and/or dead lives to minimize the stench), you'll have healthy potting soil and plant fertilizer in less than a year. Of course, it's important to remove such manmade substances as the whiffle ball the kids deposited during the summer or that boomerang that never made it back to its owner. And smaller items like nails, screws, and hooks that were part of your holiday light display and wound up on your roof and then in your gutter.

In the end, it is definitely easier and safer to simply call or text a pressure washing professional like Premier Pro Washing. A simple conversation with a professional is the safest option when it comes to roof cleaning.