How do I clean gutters safely from a ladder?

The safe way to clean gutters is from a sound ladder set on firm, level ground, on a single-storey eave, never from the roof. The hazard is the ladder, not the gutter: a base set too steep or too shallow, a foot that slips, a reach that goes one scoop too far. Set the ladder right, keep three points of contact, move it often, and the job itself is just scooping and flushing.

This guide covers single-storey gutters. If your gutters are on a second storey, or the only way to reach them is from the roof, see whether it is worth paying for gutter cleaning instead.

Before you climb

Pick a day without wind or rain. Wet rungs and a gusting wind both make a ladder harder to hold. If the wind picks up while you are working, get off the ladder until conditions improve.^[1]

Check the ladder. Inspect the ladder before every use, and again after it has been dropped.^[1] Look for cracked or bent rails, loose rungs, worn feet and locks that do not catch.

Choose the right material. Metal ladders must not be used when working on or near electrical wires.^[1] Under no circumstances should a metal ladder be used where contact could occur with energized electrical equipment or circuits.^[1] Wood and fiberglass are non-conductive, although wood can conduct when wet.^[1] If there is any wire near your gutters, leave the metal ladder in the garage and use a fiberglass one, or a wood one only when it is dry.

Look up. Find the service wire that brings power to the house and any lines along the street or yard. Treat every one as live. Plan ladder positions that keep you and the ladder well away from every wire, and skip any section you cannot reach without coming near one.

For the higher-voltage lines, Virginia's Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act sets a fixed distance for people working in a trade or business: no one doing paid work may place a person, tool or ladder within 10 feet of an overhead high voltage line unless the danger has been guarded against.^[2] The Act defines an overhead high voltage line as one carrying more than 600 volts.^[3] It sets no distance for other wires, so do not read it as permission to work closer to the service wire; stay clear of that one too.

Gather the gear. Gloves, eye protection, a plastic gutter scoop or a trowel, a bucket with a hook or a rope, a garden hose with a spray nozzle and, ideally, a helper.

Setting up the ladder

For a straight or extension ladder, raise it, rest the top against the wall, then pull the base out until its distance from the wall is one-fourth of the height to the point where the ladder rests.^[1] In practice that is one foot out for every four feet up. Extend an extension ladder from the ground only.^[1]

Rest the ladder on the wall below the gutter or on a stand-off stabilizer rather than on the gutter itself; a gutter can bend or pull off its hangers under a ladder's weight. Then secure the ladder at the top and bottom where possible, and at a minimum block the bottom against a fixed object or have another person foot it.^[1] On soft soil, a wide board under the feet usually helps; on a slope, move to level ground rather than propping one foot up.

On a low eave, a stepladder may be enough. Open it fully with the spreaders locked; a stepladder is never used folded and leaned against the wall.^[1]

Working from the ladder

Face the ladder going up and coming down, and keep three points of contact: two feet and one hand, or two hands and one foot.^[1] Tools and supplies go up on a tool belt, a rope or a pulley rather than in your hands.^[1] A bucket hung from a rung with an S-hook keeps both hands free for the ladder and the scoop.

The top two rungs of a straight or extension ladder are not for standing on.^[1] While you work, keep the centerline of your body between the side rails, and do not overreach or lean too far to one side.^[1] Clean the stretch in front of you, climb down, and move the ladder. Do not move, shift or extend the ladder while you are on it.^[1] Moving it often is slower, and it is what keeps you inside the rails.

Scoop from the end farthest from the downspout toward the outlet, so loosened debris does not get pushed into it. Wet, packed sludge comes out more easily than dry leaves, which blow around. A leaf blower from a ladder is a poor idea: it pushes you backwards and throws grit at your eyes.

Clearing the downspouts

A clean gutter with a blocked downspout still overflows. Lift the debris out of the outlet at the top of each downspout, then run a hose into the gutter at the far end. Water should run toward the outlet and come out of the bottom at a steady rate. If it backs up, a firm spray up the downspout from the bottom often dislodges the plug. Some downspouts have flap valves or screens at the bottom end, which keep rodents out, and screens need regular cleaning to keep the downspout from clogging,^[5] so check and rinse them as part of the job.

Then check where the water lands. A splash block at the end of the downspout directs the flow away from the foundation wall and prevents erosion.^[4] If you see a washout or a bare patch at the bottom, an extension pipe carries the water farther from the house.^[4]

The next rain is the real test. Fairfax County's soil and water district says to "inspect the outside of the gutters and downspouts for streaks or watermarks and look for erosion along the drip line,"^[4] since those mean the gutters are overflowing. If the gutters are clean and still spill over during an ordinary rain, the system is probably undersized.^[4] That is a gutter repair, not a cleaning; see why gutters overflow.

Stop and call a pro if

• The gutters are on a second storey, or the only way to reach a section is from the roof or by leaning out beyond the rails.
• A ladder position would bring you or the ladder near a power line or the service wire to the house.
• The ground under the ladder is soft, steep or icy and you cannot make it firm and level.
• A gutter section sags, has pulled away from the fascia, or the wood behind it is soft or rotten.
• You find a wasp or hornet nest in the gutter or under the eave.

For a cleaning you would rather not do yourself, browse gutter cleaning on Loclis, look up exterior pros around Blacksburg, or read how often gutters should be cleaned and the rest of the exterior answers. If cleaning turned up a sagging or leaking section, describe the gutter repair once and licensed local businesses quote it.