Eavestroughs

[da]

...I was going to make this "local" filter, but I figure I might amuse the Usaian audience trying to figure out from context.

Eavestroughs. Cleaning. 20-foot ladder required, which we do not have nor want to borrow. Hire someone? Yes, but who? Any recommendations?

Before I started working at the University, we had them done by a guy who came door to door in April, who carted away half a dozen icky bags of sodden gunk. It's been a few years since they've been done now. We've got drippy eaves. Connected? I 'spect so.

I'll be darned if I'll call the company that spams on light-poles.

Comments

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Hire someone. It's been years since ours were done, because we thought we should be able to do it but didn't. Sadly, ours are wood, and now it's going to cost us a small fortune to replace them. Or a smaller fortune, if we use aluminum.

[bats22.livejournal.com]

Speaking as an American who spent a chunk of time in .ca, I always thought that eavestrough was a much better word than "gutter," because it disambiguates it from the collection stream at the side of the road (as well as various association). Also, the word just makes basic sense (eave + trough).

Anyway, if you're up for kluging together something, and if you can borrow a small (e.g., electric) leaf blower from a neighbor or friend, here's a possibility. Cobble together some pipes from the hardware store, and a U-bend. Attach them to the leaf blower. Fire it up, pointing the airstream down into the eavestrough. Be sure to attach the U-bend securely, otherwise, you will launch that piece onto the roof. Also, wear a hat. This tip came from Fine Homebuilding magazine--I've always wanted to try it out.

However, if it's been a few years since you've had them cleaned, it might be composted well enough that this trick won't work.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Yeah, from what I can see it's pretty well composted.

I thought about using the new dandelion hose attachment (blasts water about 20 feet!) but the angles are too tough- much of the roof on the back of the house is inaccessable without a 20-foot stepladder to begin with.