How to Clear Your Gutters Safely Without a Fall

Ladder setup

Getting the ladder right is most of what makes this job safe, and it takes longer to set up properly than it does to clear a section of gutter.

1. Choose an extension ladder rather than a stepladder for anything at eaves height.
2. Set the base out from the wall at roughly a quarter of the ladder's extended length, which gives close to the recommended 75 degree angle.
3. Extend the ladder at least three rungs above the gutter line so there is something solid to hold as you step off at the top.
4. Have someone foot or hold the base whenever possible, and avoid working alone on anything above single-storey height.
5. Never stand on the top three rungs, and move the whole ladder rather than leaning sideways to reach further along the gutter.

Clearing the debris

With the ladder set, the actual clearing is straightforward if you work in the right order.

1. Work from the downspout outward in each section, rather than starting at the far end and pushing debris toward a blocked outlet.
2. Use a plastic gutter scoop or a garden trowel rather than bare hands, since old metal edges and hidden screws can cut you.
3. Drop debris into a bucket hung from the ladder rather than onto the lawn, which saves a second cleanup afterward.
4. Once the visible debris is out, flush the gutter with a hose from the far end and confirm water actually reaches and drains through the downspout.

What a downspout blockage looks like

If water backs up and overflows even after the gutter itself looks clear, the blockage is likely further down inside the downspout rather than in the gutter run. A plumber's snake, or a hose on a strong jet setting fed up from the bottom of the downspout, will usually push a clog through. Downspout extensions that discharge right against the foundation are also worth checking while you are up there, since even a perfectly clear gutter does no good if the water it collects is being dumped straight back against the house instead of carried a couple of metres away.

When to skip the ladder entirely

Two-storey rooflines, steep pitches, gutters running near power lines, or simply not feeling confident on a ladder are all good reasons to book this rather than do it yourself, and none of them are anything to be embarrassed about, since falls from ladders send more people to hospital every year than almost any other home maintenance task. It is also worth timing the job for late autumn once the trees are actually bare rather than early October while leaves are still falling, since clearing too early just means climbing back up and doing it twice.