Gutter cleaning - Power Wash Network "The Power Wash Contractors Forum"

bMOORECL · #1 (**permalink**) 06-19-05

Now,lets take for instant.those two story houses.Thats very high for a ladder.
For to say,to clean the inside,or hanging over the top story roof.Cleaning the inside.I can clean the outside of the gutter,with a extension pole easy.But,the inside gutter,(maybe) a gutter cleaning pipe,attacted to a extensin pole.Washing the debri out.hmmmm.

Henry Bockman · #2 (**permalink**) 06-20-05

I use a blower usually then do a quick cleanup around the house when completed. The blower cleans off the roof, gutters and clears the downspouts. An average 2 story home with attached garage (about 175 linear foot of gutter) takes us about 11 minutes until completion.

Aplus · #3 (**permalink**) 06-20-05

Henry,
I'm thinking you are meaning when the debris in the gutters is dry. How do you handle when the debris is wet, or the gutters are full of stagnant water?

Henry Bockman · #4 (**permalink**) 06-21-05

When the gutter is full of water we just pull the clog at the downspout, let the water drain down a bit and use the blower. You can cause quite a bit of a mess if your not careful though! Once you've learned the right angles and experience it can be done when they are wet or full of water. On rare occasions we will get something on a small section of the house and we just rinse it off with the clients hose.

Aplus · #5 (**permalink**) 06-21-05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henry Bockman

I use a blower usually then do a quick cleanup around the house when completed. The blower cleans off the roof, gutters and clears the downspouts. An average 2 story home with attached garage (about 175 linear foot of gutter) takes us about 11 minutes until completion.

Thanks.

Now I can explain to my customer that some of the competitors use a leaf blower, to clear the gutters. I can also tell them that when all that putrid water flies out, it may also contain diseases such as the West Nile virus, which is then sprayed all over their backyard. Not to mention all the wriggling insect larvae inside the compost like material growing in some gutters. Those too will be landing all over your lawn and landscaping.

The reason they can charge you less is because it only takes them about 11 minutes to clear your gutters of the debis/diseases, which went who knows where.

The extra $40 I charge allows me to take more time, and hand-scoop the gutter debris into garbage bags which I then haul away. There will be no debris on the ground.

Thanks Henry!

Henry Bockman · #6 (**permalink**) 06-22-05

Tony,

Snappy come back there but you didn't think it through very well.
Do you reclaim the gutter water or do you let it run down the downspouts onto the lawn? Where do you think all the stuff from the gutters goes when they overflow every time it rains?
So you handscoop all the debris in the gutters and do what with it? Put it in a plastic bag while your on the roof? Use a plastic bucket with holes drilled in it for the water to run out all over? What about when your leaning over to hand scoop the debris into your plastic bag and loose your balance falling to your death?
Do you tighten all the gutters, downspouts and inspect the guttering system and roof like we do for 20 different common problems?

Before you judge someones methods and make comments you know so little about you might want to think first and make sure your method is nearly as good as you "think" it is. There are plenty of ways to do a job and some work better than others but it doesn't mean all the other methods are wrong. I've done things the way you do in the past but found them to take far longer than necessary and to me being slower doesn't justify why a client should pay more.

That's kinda like someone cleaning a driveway with cold water and a wand and me doing it with hot water, chems and a surface cleaner. The cold water guy says he takes more time to do the job so he should charge more than someone using better equipment and experience to get better results.

Aplus · #7 (**permalink**) 06-22-05

Henry,
I'm just kidding with ya, don't get yer panties in a bunch...

Actually here's what we typically do.....

If there's standing water, break up the clog so most water drains out.
Scoop out the debris and place into 13 gallon garbage bags.
Rinse the gutters if necessary.
Reseat any gutter nails if necessary.
Any other repairs are on as needed basis and discussed with customer.
Pickup and dispose of any debris that comes out the downspouts.
Haul away debris.
Rinse off any mess we might make on house or surounding area.

If the roofs are steep pitched, we work off a ladder. If they are walkable, and not too high, we work off the roof. Some jobs I will decline because they are too high, too steep, or generally too dangerous that I don't want to be involved with.

Two guys can clean gutters on a typical house in under 30 minutes.

As far as where the stuff goes when a gutter overflows before I clean it, obviously it goes on the ground, and that's often what the customer sees and decides to call someone to take care of it.

Henry Bockman · #8 (**permalink**) 06-23-05

Hey Tony,

Sorry, I've had a competitor in this area try to use very similiar comments when bidding against us on jobs so I tend to draw the line rather quickly.

Aplus · #9 (**permalink**) 06-23-05

Understandable.

At least I wasn't the only one who was thinking that way. I guess you can't blame competitors for using whatever means they can to get a leg up. But it doesn't make it any more palatable.

Sorry if I struck a nerve.