by napalmgram

How to find a good Gutter Cleaning company in the London area

A gutter is basically a channel that carries off rainwater, and they are usually seen on roofs of any house. If you ignore the gutters in your house, there is a greater chance of damage being caused to your property. As soon as you notice that your gutters are not functioning properly you need to get them cleaned.

So, now that you have become aware of your gutter being blocked, you have decided it is time to invest in a professional to clean them. There are many things to consider when making this important decision.

Steps to finding a good Gutter Cleaning company:

1. Select a certified and qualified company

2. It’s experience and professionalism

3. A gutter cleaning company that offers a fast service and avoids
unnecessary work delay

4. Check to make sure that they are insured with Public Liability
5. Get two or more references

6. Get at least one other quote from another gutter cleaning company to make sure you are not being ripped off

The best place to start looking for a gutter cleaner is by asking your friends and family if they have used a gutter cleaning service and if they can recommend any one. When asking for referrals, be sure to check the type of job the gutter cleaner was called in to accomplish. Also, check if the gutter cleaner specialises in residential or commercial work?

How to Hire a Gutter Cleaning Company

Think about the last time you purchased a car, a television or washing machine. The chances are that you did not go to the Yellow Pages, choose a car dealership or electrical store and buy from the first one you came across. Many times, though, this scenario often describes the way a homeowner will find a gutter cleaner. They look in the phone book or local advertising newspaper, and call the gutter cleaning company with the largest advert or the first one that is listed.

Just like buying a car or washing machine, finding a good gutter cleaning company requires research and comparison shopping.

Some good questions to ask

Were you happy with the quality of service provided by the gutter cleaner?

Everybody has the own idea of quality, so you should take a look at their house and judge for yourself.

Were they courteous and polite?

This is a very important consideration. The entire experience, from beginning to end, needs to be as stress free as possible. Plus, if the gutter cleaner enjoys their job, the quality and attention to detail will be much better, than someone who is not. The customers attitude can and will affect the entire job. Hopefully this will be the first question you ask. If the answer is “no” then do not go any further, you certainly do not want to work with that person or company.

Is the work guaranteed?

If a guarantee is included, find out if it has a reasonable amount of time before it expires, and if it has any value. Simply stating a warranty is not good enough. Get it in writing and find out if there are any conditions. A good gutter cleaning company will stand by its guarantee. A good gutter cleaning company will use professional tools and as well as having an expert knowledge on the subject of gutters. If a gutter cleaning company will not offer a warranty this is a potential problem to consider.

Is it worth having my gutters cleaned if I live in a terraced house?

Yes. If the gutters on your house are blocked, water will overflow onto your property and cause potential damages to your walls and those of your neighbours.

Do you clean up after cleaning the gutters?

All good gutter cleaning companies should clean up after they have carried out their work. All of the debris that will fall out of your gutters should be thoroughly rinsed and cleaned.

How long will it take to clean my gutters?

It is hard to estimate a time to clean your gutters as this all depends on the size and condition of the gutters on your house or building.

Are you insured?

All reputable gutter cleaning companies should have Public Liability and Employers Liability insurance which protects you should either a member of the gutter cleaning company become injured or ill while on your property and if your property is damaged.

Your selected gutter cleaning company should be able to provide you with a copy of their insurance policy. They should also have undergone Health and Safety training by qualified Health and Safety inspectors.

What safety commitment do you provide?

Accidents can happen, so ask your prospective candidate what steps will they provide to prevent injuries and damage to property. Again, a good gutter cleaning company should be able to answer these questions with ease.

Do I need to be in when you come to do the work on my property?

Many gutter cleaning companies can clean your gutters without the need for you to be at home. They will simply carried out the task and leave an invoice for the work done. You then can pay by cheque or credit card over the telephone, but you need to check with the individual company.

How often should my gutters be cleaned?

This differs from house to house, but the majority of gutters should be cleaned every six months on a regular basis in order to keep them debris free. Obviously, houses with over hanging trees, for example, will need to be cleaned more often, between two and four times a year.

The Benefits of hiring a professional Gutter Cleaning Company

There are many benefits to hiring a professional gutter cleaning company for your home or commercial property rather than trying to do the job yourself.

1) The job will get done – How many times have you planned to do a task only to find that you either run out of time or it gets put off for another day? By hiring a professional, you KNOW that it is going to get done on the date booked. Just remember that blocked gutters can lead to damage to your home and grounds.

2) Time saving – Your time is very valuable to you and cleaning your gutters will take just that, time. Even more so if you have large property and do not have the correct equipment. Why not keep your free time for yourself? The cost of hiring professional gutter cleaners is not expensive and when you compare the cost of it to the time you will be saving it can be well worth it. Your free time should be well spent and time is quickly becoming as valuable as money so spend it well.

3) Avoid the mess – If your gutters have not been cleaned for some time, they will be full of moss, soggy leaves and debris, which is very messy to clean up. It is without doubt a job that you need to be ready to get your hands dirty.

4) Safety – Do not attempt to clean your gutters if you do not like going up ladders. Unstable ladders due to uneven surfaces are very dangerous. Remove the risk of you getting injured by hiring a professional.

5) Hassle free – If you have little or no experience in cleaning gutters then you will be surprised to find out the hassle caught up with the constant emptying of the debris from the gutter and having to continuously going up and down the ladder to empty the bucket, as well as moving the ladder around the house. It can end up being a very boring and repetitive job.

The only benefit of cleaning your gutters yourself is saving a little bit of money but in return you could be risking your safety, not making the best use of your time, whilst getting yourself in a mess. Why not just hire someone and know the job will get done safely and professionally.

Some useful tips that will tell you if you need your gutters cleaned

1) If water is overflowing from the gutter when it rains, the chances are the guttering is either blocked or full and therefore needs to be cleaned. Alternatively, overflowing water may also be caused by gaps between the joints of the gutter.

2) If you can see grass, leaves or other debris sticking out from the gutters then the gutter is almost certainly blocked and not working as it should be. A good gutter cleaning company can rectify this for you.

3) Occasionally, the gutter mountings may be damaged or the gutters have come away from their mountings. This can also lead to blockage problems.

4) Metal, aluminium or copper gutters are showing signs of corrosion.

5) The fascia or wooden boards are showing signs of rot or are coming away from the building

6) After it rains clumps of moss are deposited on the patio or around the house.

There are other signs that the guttering may need to be cleaned out, but if you notice any of these then it would be advisable to have your gutters cleaned or cleared by a professional gutter cleaning company.

A lot of people are not aware of the significance that a gutter system has on maintaining your home.

The gutter’s main function is to collect the rainwater and redirect it to the down pipe and away from the house. However, you may not be aware of the many advantages of having an efficient gutter system. Without one, you could be facing a large expense due to the damage that would be caused.

The importance of a gutter system

· Without a gutter system, the ground below would be damaged due to the rain just falling off the roof. After a number of rain showers, the ground below would start to wear away and a small trench would start to appear around your house. Without rain gutters, gardens can flood and erode very quickly from the large amounts of runoff.

· Your gutter system also avoids water from falling off the roof and dripping down the sides of the house and gathering near the foundations. This pool of water will eventually seep into the foundations, resulting in flooding, leaks and potential long term foundation problems.

· Without gutters the rainwater would also pour down the sides of your house and potentially cause damp and mould problems.

· Continuously dripping water can cause fascia boards, rafters, doors and window frames to begin to rot. Gutters also prevent icicles forming on the edge of your roof, which could be a potential hazard to you walking in and out your home and could also damage your roofs shingles.

· They also stop you getting soaked at your entrance where the rainwater would be running over the edge of your roof and straight onto you, the rain is bad enough!

· The sides of your house would get pretty muddy and grimy if everything that landed or grew or your roof was just washed down the sides of your house whenever it rained.

Maintain your gutters as they do have a really important job to do. If not, you can expect a large bill to rectify any problems or damaged caused by blocked or broken gutter.

Find More Gutters Articles