We are often asked the question, “do you vacuum the gutters?” During our 14 years of gutter cleaning we have seen many of our competitors start and then quickly shut down business after only a few years; some of them even call us to ask if we’ll buy their equipment from them. Gutter vacuums are very expensive and cumbersome tools that only create a list of new problems for the operator and building owner. The answer is, “no we don’t use vacuums to clean gutters.”
The biggest challenge in gutter cleaning is accessing difficult to reach areas in a safe manner while also taking care to not damage your roof. This challenge is only made more dangerous with heavy vacuum systems. A top quality vacuum unit is a vehicle mounted petrol operated machine that consists of a 60m hose. The hose must be dragged from the vehicle and then up onto your roof, this creates trip hazards both on the ground and on the roof. The movement of this long hose across your roof can also dislodge tiles and ridge capping. See our popular video on safe roof access.
We clean roof gutters the same way they’ve been cleaned for hundreds of years, with lightweight ultra-portable hand tools. You the home owner must make your decision as to what will please you most. We try to avoid criticism of other gutter cleaning companies as this is often seen as just cheap self promotion.
There are some small advantages in gutter vacuuming. With the vacuum systems its less likely that debris will fall to the ground meaning cleaning up can be easier. For suburbs on the outskirts of Melbourne where there’s a lot more land space around buildings and single level buildings are more common, these vacuums may be a useful tool. But closer to the city centre where land space is limited with more multi storey access issues, gutter vacuums are not practical. See our article about the worst trees for blocking gutters.
If you have any questions regarding vacuum gutter cleaning, please call Grayson’s on 1300 GRAYSONS (1300 472 976)
