Month: May 2021

More than 90,000 people are treated in emergency rooms every year due to ladder-related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This statistic underscores the risks of ladder use and the importance of taking safety precautions seriously when using this common household equipment. With spring gutter cleaning season approaching, now is a good time to review the dos and don’ts of ladder usage. 

How to Stay Safe While Using a Ladder

Keep these dos and don’ts in mind to ensure your safety while using a ladder to perform household maintenance:

• Do select the correct ladder for the job – one that extends at least three feet over the roofline or working surface and has the weight capacity to support you and your tools at the same time.
• Don’t place the ladder on a raised surface to extend its reach or stand on the top rung of the ladder to gain the necessary height. Both scenarios can result in serious injury.
• Do inspect a ladder before using it. A common factor in ladder accidents is poor condition due to age or neglect. Before using it, inspect the ladder for decay, cracks and loose parts and note the maximum load rating.
• Don’t use a damaged or broken ladder or make temporary or makeshift repairs. A damaged ladder should be repaired according to the manufacturer’s specifications and replaced as needed.
• Do use ladders properly. Always maintain three points of contact with a ladder and keep your body centered between the rails to maintain stability.
• Don’t take risks. Most often it’s the user – not the ladder – that causes ladder accidents. Never use a ladder in any way other than how the manufacturer specifies. Don’t attempt to reach farther than your arm can stretch while on the ladder. Instead, climb down, move the ladder to a better spot, then climb back up.
• Do place the ladder on firm, level ground. Use leg levelers (available at home improvement stores) under the legs of the ladder to level uneven ground or make soft ground more stable.
• Don’t place ladders on soft or slippery surfaces or put anything underneath them. Avoid placing a ladder in front of a door.

Never Clean Your Gutters Again!

With a Gutter Helmet® gutter protection system, you can eliminate the potential for serious injury and death when using a ladder to clean your gutters. Gutter Helmet is a patented system that prevents dirt and debris from settling in gutters, so you’ll never have to clean out your gutters again! Learn about gutter guard cleaning and find out more about our Gutter Helmet system by calling us today at (800) 824-3772 and get a free quote while you’re at it!

The post The Do’s & Don’ts of Ladder Safety appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Though your home’s gutters are likely one of its more taken-for-granted exterior features, this is an incredibly important system when it comes to protecting your home from water damage and your property’s foundation from degradation. As you likely know, gutters serve the role of distributing water runoff from your home’s roof safely away from your property. Gutters that leak or are clogged are likely to lead to water pooling in areas around your home’s foundation — and water does a great job of finding its way into the likes of basements and crawl spaces.

While gutters are important in preventing home damage, you might not know that there are different types of gutters you can select from. One popular type of gutter is seamless gutters. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at what seamless gutters are, how they differ from conventional gutters, their benefits and more. Here’s a closer look:

Seamless Gutters Explained

There are two main types of gutters: seamless gutters and sectional gutters. Sectional gutters are usually cut into 10 to 20-foot sections and connected during installation on the home. Seamless gutters, conversely, are all one piece. In other words, there are no connections along the gutters — just think of them as custom-made to fit your home. In fact, they’re usually either formed on-site or in a special prefabrication shop.

Though seamless gutters are often a bit more expensive than conventional sectional gutters (more on this later), property owners can realize ROI in several significant ways. We’ll discuss this as well as other benefits associated with seamless gutters in the next section.

Benefits of Seamless Gutters

As we hinted at in the previous section, there are a variety of benefits to selecting seamless gutters over the more conventional sectional gutters. Here’s a look at some of them:

Enhanced Strength, Rigidity

Seamless gutters consist of single pieces of gutters, which are essentially custom-made for your home. Because of this, and their aluminum or copper makeup, they offer enhanced strength and rigidity compared to conventional gutters. Most seamless gutters are made from aluminum, which offers a great strength-to-weight ratio and can last for up to 20 years before replacement is necessary. Copper gutters can even last upwards of 50 years.

For comparison’s sake, conventional steel gutters tend to last for as little as 10 to 12 years before replacement is necessary.

Reduced Chance of Leaks

One of the biggest benefits of selecting seamless gutters for your home is that the one-piece makeup significantly reduces the chance of leakage. Remember, the main purpose of your home’s gutters is to safely distribute rain and snowmelt away from the foundation of your property. With conventional gutters that are joined together in 10- to 20-foot sections, there’s a chance that these types of gutters will leak at the connections over time. When this occurs, gutters will need to be properly repaired or else water could pool around your home’s foundation, potentially leading to water intrusion and mold growth.

Wide Range of Color Options

Gutters these days are available in a wide range of color options, and seamless gutters are no exception. It’s easy to match seamless gutters with the trim of your home to ensure they complement the design of your home and enhance its curb appeal. If you don’t like the color palette that seamless gutters are available in, it’s easy to paint aluminum.

Ease of Maintenance

While we hit on this benefit to an extent earlier in this piece, it’s worth mentioning again: Seamless gutters are incredibly easy to maintain. Since their makeup consists of the minimum amount of connections possible, these gutters are far less prone to leaks compared to conventional gutter systems. As a result, you can have more confidence that your gutters are serving their role of safely moving water away from your property’s foundation.

Additionally, the durability of aluminum gutters ensures that they’re long-lasting. Aluminum is also a material that will not rust and is corrosion-resistant. Conventional steel gutters have a tendency to rust and corrode over time, and vinyl gutters can warp and become brittle.

Seamless Gutters Pros & Cons

Though seamless gutters have plenty of advantages, many of which we covered in the above section, there are also a few notable drawbacks that are worth considering as well. Here’s a look at some of the considerations that you should be weighing when it comes to selecting what type of gutters are right for your property:

• Cost: Because they’re custom-made and involve a different fabrication process (and different materials) compared to conventional gutters, seamless gutters are often more expensive. Additionally, installing seamless gutters isn’t typically a DIY job that homeowners can carry out — it takes a professional to fabricate the gutters and install to ensure a perfect fit.
• ROI: It’s important to consider ROI when making your gutter selection. Though seamless aluminum or copper gutters are more expensive than conventional sectional gutters and the materials they’re made from, they also last longer, are more maintenance-friendly and do a better job of preventing household damage. It’s important to ask yourself whether or not paying a bit more upfront is worth these aforementioned benefits.

Contact K-Guard today for more information on seamless gutters and the advantages that they hold over conventional gutter systems.

This post first appeared on https://www.kguard.com

A home’s gutters are responsible for protecting the foundation, siding and landscaping from a constant barrage of rainwater falling from the roof. Failing to install gutters in Oklahoma City or living with subpar gutters can lead to a crumbling foundation, leaks and roof damage.

Simply put: Yes, you need gutters around your entire home. Continue reading to get answers to some other common gutter questions.

Do I need new gutters?

As long as you clean them a few times a year and check to ensure they’re secure on your home, your gutters should last for as long as your roof. However, they can still start to fail as the years go on.

A top sign that your gutters need to be replaced is if you have rainwater collecting around your home’s foundation. This is a sign that the gutters aren’t directing rainwater out onto your lawn, and the rain is instead falling directly to the ground.

If your gutters are shoddy, you may also notice that your siding is rotten or moldy. This is because rain is collecting on the siding instead of flowing gently through the gutters and down to the ground.

Should I install my own gutters?

The DIY-ers out there may be tempted to buy and hang their own gutters, but this isn’t the best idea. First of all, gutters need to be custom-fitted for each home—the ones you find off the shelf at the hardware store won’t work as well as the ones that are custom fabricated and installed by the pros.

More importantly, installing gutters is dangerous! You obviously need to be on a ladder or the roof while you install gutters in Oklahoma City, which leads to the possibility of slipping and falling. Professional gutter installers have years of experience and are sure-footed while on your roof or a ladder.

How can gutter guards help?

In addition to installing gutters around your entire home, it’s not a bad idea to add gutter guards in Oklahoma City. Here’s how gutter guards can help improve your gutters’ performance and make your life easier:

• Ensure even water flow: The leaves and debris that get trapped in gutters cause major clogs, which leads to water spilling over the edge of the gutter and collecting at your foundation. Our guards keep all of that junk out and only allow water to flow from the roof to the gutter and eventually to the ground away from your home.
• Reduce cleaning time: Cleaning your gutters isn’t the hardest household chore, but it can still be a pain. While we still recommend inspecting them for damage twice a year, there will be no need to clean your gutters once you’ve installed gutter guards.

Are your gutters up to snuff?

If you’ve noticed any signs that you need new gutters, hire our pros at L & S Seamless Guttering. We have years of experience fabricating seamless gutters and installing gutter guards in Oklahoma City. Contact us today to see what we can do for you!

This post first appeared on https://lsseamlessgutter.com/

If more homeowners understood the correct method for cleaning out their gutters, far fewer people would suffer injury while performing this common home maintenance task. According to statistics shared by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 90,000 emergency room visits occur as a result of ladder-related injuries every year. Over the last 10 years, this number has increased by 50%.

How to Safely Clean Out Your Gutters

The key to a safe gutter cleaning experience is knowing what precautions you need to take to protect yourself and your home.

• Practice ladder safety. Before you begin, let someone nearby know you’ll be cleaning your gutters. Then get a sturdy ladder and inspect it for defects, dents and loose parts before climbing it. A four-legged stepladder is an ideal choice for a one-story structure, while an extension ladder works best for a home with two or more stories.

• Protect your hands and eyes. Gloves will protect your hands from cuts caused by metal gutters or sharp screws. Gloves also shield your hands from exposure to bacteria-laden debris. Safety glasses or goggles are another must to protect your eyes from flying debris while you’re on the ladder.

• Wear rubber-soled shoes. When you’re moving up and down a ladder, and especially if it’s necessary to walk on the roof, it’s important to wear rubber-soled shoes with good traction to prevent slip-and-fall accidents. Because roofs tend to be damp with dew in the morning, it’s best to do the job later in the day when the sun is well up and the roof has had a chance to dry.

• Pay attention to power lines. Before cleaning out your gutters, take a good look at the overhead lines surrounding your house. If there are any nearby, be sure not to put yourself or any tools near them. Many power companies recommend staying a minimum of 10 feet away from all lines.

• Invest in gutter guards. Quality rain gutter guards like our Gutter Helmet® system eliminate the need for routine gutter cleaning by keeping gutters free of dirt, debris and leaves.

Contact Us to Learn How Gutter Helmet® Can Protect You

For information on cleaning gutters with gutter guards and to learn more about how our system can protect your home and your life, call Gutter Helmet today at (800) 824-3772!

The post 5 Gutter Cleaning Tips That Could Save Your Life appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Spring is here and summer is on its way, which means Mother Nature will be creating many rainstorms. Depending on the severity of the storms, you may experience a lot of damage due to the rain, some of which you can prevent from happening. Rain gutters are a very important addition to your house. Not only will rain gutters provide many benefits for years to come, but they will also protect your…

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This post first appeared on https://gutterpros.com/

Gutter Helmet® gutter covers are installed directly over existing full-size gutters. You’ll notice that the nose of a Gutter Helmet® cover actually extends past the lip of your gutter. This patented Nose Forward Design prevents debris from entering your gutters. Unlike some other rain gutter covers that claim to protect gutters just as well, Gutter Helmet has no vertical openings – only a 3/8-inch gap to let water in while keeping debris out. 

Our customers tell us that with our gutter covers, an extraordinary amount of water is able to enter the gutters, but virtually nothing else. Gutter Helmet® is professionally installed and can be positioned over or under your shingles.

How Does the Water Get In?

The Gutter Helmet® system puts physics to work for you. It starts with the principle of surface tension, which explains why water dribbles when you try to pour it out of a glass. Hold a glass sideways under a tap and turn on the water. Notice how the water sheets around the glass, clinging to it even on the underside? Turn up the tap and the water will still adhere. 

Gutter Helmet takes this principle and applies it to a carefully engineered design using a precise shape and angle. We add a patented textured surface coating that makes it even more effective by causing water to sheet rather than bead up. Rainwater flows right over the nose and down into the gutter system.

How Much Can It Handle?

The hardest rain ever documented in the United States by the U.S Weather Service is just over 11 inches per hour. That’s a lot of water! Gutter Helmet is tested to securely handle twice this amount: 22 inches per hour.

Learn More About What Makes Gutter Helmet® the Best

To learn more about how the Gutter Helmet system works, how it can protect your home and why we have the best gutter guards, call (800) 824-3772 to arrange for a free, no-obligation gutter protection quote from your local dealer. You can also go to our website to check out our gutter guard reviews.

The post How the Gutter Helmet® Gutter Cover Works appeared first on Gutter Helmet.