Here in the UK, the beginning of autumn is only a few weeks away (23rd of September if you were wondering) and for many that may signal the return of the dark ages – the time in the year when lush leaves lose their green and fall menacingly onto conservatory roofs and form a light blocking blanket over the roof. You may think this a mild inconvenience as there is less natural light to read our newspapers but leaves also land in or tumble into the gutters, which can have more troubling consequences.
Why it is important to keep conservatory gutters clear of leaves
- Leaves left in guttering can prevent rainwater running freely and cause it to pool, which can stress the gutter and strain seals.
- Leaves and other airborne debris can decompose in the gutter but won’t be washed away if the rainwater does not run freely. Instead it will form a fertile soil in which plants can flourish, with damaging results.
- Leaves can build up and block downpipes and the drains that they lead into, which could result in gutters overflowing and causing damage to the conservatory or home.
Check your conservatory gutters are clear
We would advise you to check your gutters periodically to ensure that excess rainwater can run freely. How often you need to do that depends on your environment. Have a look around, if you see leaves building up in the proximity of your conservatory, they are likely building up in your gutter too.
A visual check for objects could be followed by a water test, which could be done by running water from a garden hose at the furthest point from an outlet.
How to clear your conservatory guttering
Take great care when clearing gutters whilst ensuring that you do not over stretch and that any steps or ladders that you use as stable. If leaning standard ladders against a gutter, we recommend first placing a piece of 3 x 4 timber or similar into the gutter to relieve some of the strain that your weight on the ladder would cause.
Once you can see and access inside the gutter freely, you can pick out the larger objects that often find their way into gutters (such as small branches, tennis balls, toy arrows, firework etc) and the scoop, brush or pick the rest. A good technique is to put your hand into an inside-out carrier bag and claw out handfuls before folding the bag over the collected content.
Avoid trying to clear the gutter by scraping with implements from the ground as this could damage the gutter or the brackets that attach it to the conservatory.
If, when clearing the gutters, you wish to take opportunity to clean your conservatory, our sister company can provide the uPVC conservatory cleaning materials necessary.