Idea for gutter cleaning, what do you think?

Gutter cleaning is one of those pain in the butt problems I haven't solved.

I have gutter guards, they help a little but make it harder when I do clean. And cleaning is made harder by the long nails that insert into the house every few feet.

A robot that continuously made the rounds would be nice, but I haven't found one that can fit under the nails.

Well, a few minutes ago I had a brainstorm. What if I took my gutters down and put them back up hinged at the bottom edge?

Whenever I needed to clean, I'd just unhook them and let them pivot down. With the opening facing out and a little down, a quick blast with the hose would clean them out.

Each year I get older I have less tolerance for going up on the ladder.

Reply to
TimR
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Not sure if you're proposing a design for new gutters or suggesting to do this with the existing ones, but I think it's the latter. I don't know how you're going to mount them hinged at the bottom edge, nor how you're going to secure them at the top at multiple places to keep them locked in. You also have to disconnect the leader each time. Doesn't sound practical to me.

Reply to
trader_4

We solved the problem--no gutters! :)

Certainly _could_ be done by building a bracket to support the hinge and include the hook/fastening arrangement at the top.

Biggest problem I would envision other than the building and installing of said brackets would be that unless you have pretty short sections it would put a severe strain on the rest as you unhooked each support leaving it hanging and only supported by the strength of the gutter itself.

And, of course, what do you do when you get to that inside corner when needs to pivot in two directions? :)

Reply to
dpb

I got new gutters and downspouts when I got my new roof a couple of months ago. Roofer says none of these gutter guards work completely and when gutter guys cleaned mine they ripped them off. I had screens on lower gutters but they always needed removal and cleaning as particulate seeped through.

One of his recommendations was larger down spouts that do not clog as readily. I did what he suggested and after installation I had a lot of flowers from a magnolia tree and a lot of seed leaflets from a Chinese elm fall into them and after rains I find them completely clear. Be interesting to see if it is the same in the fall.

Reply to
Frank

I'm not the first person to think of this.

(I didn't really expect to be, but I hadn't found it on google. Until now.)

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I think I would rather do shorter sections though. I might try retrofitting in back where they are short just to see.

Reply to
TimR

I tried finding a video of them displaying an inside corner but no luck. I'd like to see how they manage that.

Reply to
Meanie

"However, it is not advisable to attempt to empty solid ice out of the gutters. You can dump fresh snow out of gutters before it freezes "

Hmmm . makes me wonder - if they are warning of the weight of ice - what about the weight of a gutter full of wet leaves and stuff .. and those giant blowing snow-drift " tongues" that hang off the roof - I knock down with my snow-rake .. they hit the ground like a snow-bomb .. When the product fails under the worst winter conditions - just think of the repair difficulties ! before the next thaw ! John T.

Reply to
hubops

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