Why Should I Have My Gutters Brightened?
Out of all the areas of your home's exterior you have meticulously cleaned for aesthetic purposes, your gutters are probably not very high on your list. Sure, gutter cleaning is important for removing debris and ensuring your gutters continue to function as normal, but gutters are not the most glamorous part of your home, and many people don't bother to spend time improving their appearance.
However, your gutters do affect the curb appeal of your home overall. Their bright appearance makes the stains on them even more obvious, and heavily stained gutters look really ugly and poorly kept, even if they're functioning normally. Learn what's causing your gutters to look like a drippy mess, and learn how you can fix it!
Tiger Stripes- But Not The Cool Kind
If you've looked into gutter cleaning and brightening services before, you might know what we mean by "tiger stripes." If you don't, well, let's just say we're not talking about the cool orange and black stripes you're envisioning. "Tiger stripes" is a slang term used to refer to the ugly, drippy black stains you see streaking down the sides of many gutters.
What exactly is that stuff? Some people get concerned, believing it to be a sign of serious mold growth. Usually, though, it's much more innocuous than that. Tiger stripes are what happens when moisture mixes with pollutants in your gutters- substances like dirt, pollen, roof tar, chimney fumes, and bird droppings. Moisture from dew or rain makes the sticky mess run down the sides of your gutters, and the heat and sun bake it into the paint.
Tiger stripes are not a sign of gutter failure, nor are they dangerous. Nearly every set of gutters will develop them over their lifespan. However, they are quite ugly and detrimental to your curb appeal, and you don't have to settle for them.
How To Get Rid Of Tiger Stripes
Cleaning out your gutters is a dangerous job, and washing their exteriors is too! Falls are a major cause of death and injury involving home DIY work, and roofing jobs like gutter cleaning are some of the biggest culprits. No home improvement project is worth the risk to your health. For that reason, we don't recommend homeowners ascend their roofs to clean their tiger stripes.
You have a couple of safe options: use an extended brush to scrub your gutters from the ground with a household detergent, or hire a pressure washing contractor that offers gutter brightening service. The DIY-minded homeowner may want to take the first route, in which case we say that any good all-purpose, heavy-duty cleaner should do the trick. That said, avoid anything with ammonia or paint removing substances in it. You only want to get rid of the stripes, not the paint!
If, however, you're not a fan of DIY projects, or if the size of your home or the scope of the task makes doing your own gutter brightening prohibitive, consider calling in the pressure washing experts. If you're local to the Fort Myers area, Birdies Pressure Cleaning offers excellent and efficient gutter cleaning and brightening services. Give us a call at 239-313-1493, and you can kiss those ugly gutter stripes goodbye without ever having to break a sweat!
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