When the winter starts to kick in, it is a time where you can experience many gutter outbreaks that can make your life miserable. These gutter issues can start from clogged-up gutters that are inviting for pests to many other issues. In worse cases, the gutter issues can lead to cracking of walls and foundation of your building which can cost you thousands of dollars.

So, it is clear that these issues cannot be ignored and you have to take precautionary measures before these damages happen. Plus, what to do if you are already experiencing them?

In this blog, you will get some tips on how to clean your gutters plus future maintenance strategies.

Cleaning Is the Best Exercise to Maintain Your Gutters

Cleaning, for sure takes good care of your gutters. You should clean them at least twice a year If you are looking to maintain them to prevent any sort of outbreak.

Cleaning Tips For Maintaining Your Gutter

1. Use Special Tools

Cleaning your gutters would be easy if you have the right tools and know how to use them. For instance, there are normal pipes you can use, but for better quality clean, you can use a pressure washer and attachments. It will remove the dirt and debris that might be stubborn and is also good for cleaning organic build-up.

Here’s A List Of A Few Tools That Will Improve The Quality

1. Pressure washer
2. Hand towel
3. Ladder
4. A waste bag
5. Cleaning solution
6. Waste bag (recyclable)
7. Hand brush and a hard broom

2. Start By Hands

First and foremost, make sure you clean the decomposing leaves, small plants, moss, and branches by using your hands. This whole build-up looks ugly and contagious, so make sure you use proper hand gloves to prevent any infection or other damages to your hand.

3. Clean Your Roof

Cleaning your roof is the best option to maintain your gutters because this is a place where snow falls directly. This snow can catch a lot of debris and this debris can fall directly into your gutters when it melts. To clean it up, you need to have a hard broom or blower that will remove the loose debris. Also, if you have any moss, use a brush to clean it so that it doesn’t fall into your gutter.

4.  Use A Good Cleaning Solution

If you want to lose up the stubborn or tough deposits, use a good cleaning solution to form a lubricating effect. In this way, you can easily clean it or if it is still not getting off, use the pressure washer for a better and deep clean.

5. Don’t Ignore The Downpipes

Downpipes are the most important part that takes your rainwater towards the drain. If your downpipes are blocked, you are more likely to see water spilling over the edges and it can cause many damages to your property.

To prevent it, you need to clean the downpipes by using a blower. It will make your gutters 100% more efficient.

6. Cover Your Gutters Properly

Gutter guards are more likely to move away during heavy rain or snow. These clips on top prevent the dirt or debris to fall inside the gutter which causes blockages. Make sure to fix them so they can filter out any dirt or debris.

7. Protect Your Guttering

There are special types of paints that protect your gutters from rust. Using them would be a great option to enhance the lifespan of your gutters and making them more functional.

8. Regular Maintenance Is The Key

Maintaining your gutters regularly means cleaning them every once in a while, and checking if there are any loose ends you need to tight. This prevents many gutter issues especially for the places like Ontario where you can expect harsh weather.

What If Your Gutters Are Already Leaked or Damaged?

If your gutters are leaked and you know it just got out of your hands, call the experts. However, make sure to inspect the real issue beforehand because in most cases, you can fix them manually by using some tools. If you think you cannot do the job, call them and ask them about the issue you are facing. They will guide you on whether you should do it yourself or not.

In that case, if you need any help, feel free to reach Shiners and we will help you with your gutter issues or cleaning.

 

Keeping your gutters functional and working in winters is a tough job. You have to look for several aspects and make sure each one of them is perfectly functioning. Preventing your downpipes from freezing is one of those steps that holds great value because once the downpipes freeze, there is no chance of water flowing down, causing the gutter blockage, leaking, and other issues.

Why It Is Necessary to Prevent Downspouts from Freezing?

In most cases, if the downspouts are filled with ice, they will put more pressure on the pipes as ice is heavy. It will also cause downspouts to tear loose due to compacted snow and solid blocks of ice. All of it will put extra stress on your gutter, causing roof damage or other serious issues that can cost you a lot.

So, there are many ways to prevent your downspouts from freezing and one of the most effective ways is pouring down some warm water through the pipe. It will melt any ice inside and make it functional again. However, it is not so effective with hard ice because you will require a lot of warm water to melt them. Luckily, there are many alternatives to de-ice and make your gutters functional again.

In this blog, we will discuss a few ways to prevent freezing in the first place and also know about how you can un-freeze the downspouts.

Keep Your Downspouts from Freezing with These Steps

To prevent your gutters and downspouts from freezing, you need to know about a few simple steps that will help you in both maintaining and de-icing them.

Regular Clean

Pine needles, dirt, leaves, and other items make a jam in your downpipes. The wind and rain bring these items to your pipes and gutter which leads to minor or major blockages. For the starter, you may not notice them, but then in winters, they start to form solid blocks.

So, you should clean them every fall for better maintenance and prevent other issues. Also, while cleaning your gutters, make sure that everything is flowing well in the downspouts. To inspect them, you can visually see them from the top and it will give you a clear idea about where the most cleaning is needed.

Use Proper Gutter Guards

Gutter guards are used to avoid large pieces of ice and other items from entering the gutter. They also keep the roof drain system functioning well by only allowing water through the pipes. However, make sure that this is a stainless gutter guard as you would not want to change it every once in a while when there is rust and other stains.

The best part of these gutter guards is they prevent your downspouts from freezing so they’re worth investing in as you get to save a lot of money.

Now, let’s have a look at some methods to un-freeze your downspouts

Methods To Un-Freeze Frozen Downspouts

1. Pour boiling water over the surface of your downspouts to melt down any ice formed inside them. It is a cheap and easy way to un-freeze your downspouts, however, you might have to do it again and again for better results.
2. Wrap around a special heating tape at the surface of your downspouts that will automatically heat them and you would not have to do it yourself. However, this method is not as efficient as pouring boiling water but is a great way to prevent ice-forming inside the downpipes.
3. Clear away any snow that is forming at the exit of the downspout and make sure to keep checking it and remove it.

These techniques are proved to be efficient and many people have tried them. So, you can also use them to keep your gutters functioning well.

What NOT To Do When Downspouts Are Frozen

Panic creates many mistakes and you can do many mistakes intentionally or unintentionally while de-icing the downspouts. Here are a few things that you should avoid when you have frozen downspouts.

1. Do not climb a ladder in order to pour water into the downspouts. You can hit anything or spill boiling water on yourself and it can be dangerous. So, make sure you ask for someone’s help to climb and use proper gears.
2. Do not hit the downspouts with a hammer or other tools to break up the ice, it will only make things worse by tearing apart your downspouts.
3. Do not forcefully stuff something inside the downpipes because ice already makes things feeble and you can easily break them.

Avoid these things if you do not want to spend even more money on purchasing another downspout.

Key Takeaways

Using boiling water or warm tapes will gradually melt down the ice from your downspouts. However, for maintenance, you should clean every once in a while and make sure to use the proper gutter guard. With them, you will always feel more confident and stay out of many gutter issues during the winter season.

 

 

Out of many things, gutter issues can make you stressed. And it is not a fun thing to solve them on your own.

These issues start from getting clogged gutters all the way to the leaking gutters. As a result, they make your place drizzly and smelly altogether.

The main purpose of these gutters is to collect the rainwater and transmit it through pipes all the way down safely. They do not let your property get damaged or anything.

Especially in the places like Ontario, where you can experience 135 or more rainfall days in a year, you have to keep your gutter perfect and working throughout the year. Otherwise, you can experience a lot of gutter issues.

Thus, before it gets too late, you have to take care of everything and make it work.

Here is a list of those issues and their ultimate solutions

Gutter Issues & How To Fix Them

Before we start talking about those issues, you should always remember there might be some phases where you have to get your gutter replaced. Especially when the leak is too much, or there are big damages.

Loose Gutters

One of the main issues that you might have is slack gutters. This is due to heavy rain that is blocked and causing it to sag due to loose screws. It also happens due to the excess stress on a particular part of the gutter, causing hardware failure. In the worse case, the whole gutter might collapse, so it is not something to ignore.

Other Reasons For Saggy Gutters

1. Incorrect drainage
2. Foundation rot and erosion.

The Solution

Literally, it is the easiest thing to do, and all you need is a screwdriver, ladder, and a few screws. Just place your ladder near the gutter hangers, add some more screws in the hanger and tight the existing screws and the new ones.

Leaks

Storms are not rare in Ontario, leading to many gutter issues, including gutter leaks. It happens when heavy storms and wind hit the gutters. If ignored for a long time, a leaking gutter can slowly turn into a big mess, and it can erode the underlying support and foundation.

Well, you can estimate the cost to fix this mess.

Other Reasons For Leaks

1. Foundation erosion
2. Hardware failure.

What Is The Solution

It is also a simple thing, and doing it yourself would not be hard for you. You just need to get a small amount of plastic cement and fill the smaller holes to prevent leaks. However, for the larger holes, you can go for something else like flashing scraps and secure the holes from leakage with a putty knife.

1.     Blocked Gutters

When the rain stops, it leaves many things behind, like leaves and dirt particles, causing your gutters to block. This is something that also happens in each fall and spring. It will cause different drainage issues, leading gutters to overflow.

However, this also has the most common solution.

Solution

It is a dirty thing to do. However, you can easily do it with a few things wearing some gears. In this way, you can easily remove the clog and make it flow smoothly.

All you need is a ladder and a good pair of plastic gloves to remove the debris, leaves, and other things that are causing the clog. It will make the water flow easier and smoother. Also, you can use gutter guards to keep it safe from leaves and other dirt particles present in the storm.

2.     Gutter Impairment

Gutter impairment is also another thing that can also be a case of failure of the hardware or not enough maintenance. Also, different things can cause it to fail, such as clogging, corrosion, or heavy storms.

Solution

If we look at the solution, there are two things you can do. Either replace your gutters or get them repaired. Repairing is often a better option when it comes to saving some money, as replacing your gutters can cost you a lot.

All you need is good gutter repairers in Ontario that you can rely upon and make sure they provide the best services.

3.     Final Takeaways

Gutter problems can be stressful and cause you to lose your patience. In this way, it is always better to know a few techniques to prevent future issues.

Prevent Future Gutter Issues.

1. Keep a check on leaks
2. Look for sags and inclines
3. Check for damages
4. Clean your gutters

Furthermore, if you need a Gutter Cleaning service in Brampton, let Shiners help you with their professional staff clean gutters and stop its issues. So, feel free to reach out to us!

 

 

 

Say Goodbye to the Wicked Appearance of your Windows

There is a lot of battling and competition going on between different companies, and it is unstoppable. As a result, companies and entrepreneurs are also getting faster and smarter.

However, this fast and hurried life makes it hard for administrators to think about different aspects while thinking about their business and beating their rivals.

One of the ignored things is window cleaning which should never be neglected. If you have a greasy, grimy, or speckled window, then no one is going to take your company seriously. Every service you offer would be the last priority for your investors or clients.

It is not an insight, but many window cleaning experts in Markham claim that they have got positive feedback from their clients after the window clean. They claim that their first impression became a thousand times better, and fewer clients or investors were turning away.

Well, there must be different reasons for clients not leaving, but a clean environment can also become a factor

Also, there are tons of other benefits of getting window cleaning services commercially, like it is also for productivity and good health.

In this article, we have gathered the ultimate benefits of getting commercial window cleaning services and why you should get your windows cleaned as soon as possible.

Benefits Of Getting Window Cleaning Services

 

It Builds a Safe Environment

This should not be a loud surprise for you that clean means safety. In this Covid situation, you have to be extra cautious to prevent any health issue because any small mistake can lead you to larger consequences.

For instance, what if your window was greasy and a Covid virus was stuck on a window panel, and someone from your office touched that panel for the sight?

We hope this never happens, but you know the rest.

In this way, you have to take responsibility and never neglect your windows. With that, you will be assured of getting fewer sick leaves because only dust can also lead to different illnesses like nausea, headaches, flu, or other problems.

So, be careful with that and get a commercial window cleaning service in Richmond hill.

A Productive Atmosphere

Where we have seen the health benefits, let’s not forget about the mental health benefits that your employees will feel. According to a study, certain bad impacts of air pollution or an unclean environment can lead to depression, dementia, anxiety, and even suicide. And, you would never want your employees to work in such an environment.

On the other hand, some are working in a clean environment and seeing the fresh and clean sight through the window. These people will be hugely influenced to work more productively and use their full potential in their job.

Well, you being an entrepreneur or the management, should know the results you will get afterward.

A Better Appearance of Your Business

As we all know that “first impression is the last impression.”

If you are a small business or a large one, there are people always visiting your office, or if not, they must be interested in doing some business with you. That would not be wrong to say; they can take it as a bad impression that you don’t even take care of your own office. So, they might ask themselves, how would you be able to take the business or task seriously?

Consequently, they can leave your side and clear you out from their list because they will already have many options.

Sadly, you would never want your investors or clients to bounce back because of the dirty or grimy windows.

The good news is, a Commercial window cleaning service will also benefit you in making your first impression lasting and helping you maintain a top-notch appearance.

Professionals Save Your Time and Effort

If window cleaning comes into your head, you must be thinking that you might have to shift some stuff around the corner or make some changes in the office’s setting.

Well, what if I say that you would not have to worry about any of these by hiring professional window cleaners.

Yes, it is possible because well-equipped and trained workers will clean without making things hard for you. They will also place the things where they were placed before and save you a lot of time.

Verdict

There are other benefits of getting professional window cleaning services commercially, such as it would also make your windows last longer.

Thus, it would be a perfect choice to hire professionals for this job.

Are You Looking for Window Cleaning Services?

If you are then choosing our services would save you a lot of money and time. Shiners Window and Gutter Cleaning have professionally equipped and trained staff that would bring ease to your life by cleaning your grungy windows.

So, what are you waiting for? Give us a call and get all the benefits of commercial window cleaning services in a single place.

While looking for a house, always check whether it is maintaining a proper gutter system or not, and if you are already a homeowner, do not take gutters for granted. Gutter installments are essential for cleanliness and proper drainage system. If we talk about their importance, they play a dominant role in keeping sewerage and snowmelt water away from your foundation, walls, interior, and roofs. You can’t keep proper sanitation without keeping your gutters functional.

Moreover, blocked gutters can lead to diseases, mosquitoes, and different types of pests, etc.

If you think of getting your gutter cleaned, fortunately, it is not a challenging task to perform, but cleaning those clogged gutters without getting hurt is a matter of concern. We often heard of many cases related to accidents occurring during gutter cleaning, which is alarming. Perhaps it is not an easy job, but also not that difficult due to which accidents can occur. If one is fully educated and equipped about doing things, such accidents could be avoided. Here are some gutter cleaning tips for Ontario.

What is the best time to clean your gutter?

Most of the professionals have been advised to clean gutters once a year. When gutters are filled with sticks, leaves, polythene bags, and other debris, it can clog your gutter and make it overflow from your roofs, causing harm to your walls and foundations. Especially during winter, ice dams can be buildup, so it is vital to look out for gutter cleaning during fall. Also, amidst of big storm, clogged gutters can cause a big problem, if you live in a bushy place, with long trees.

Tips to get your clogged gutter cleaned.

Collect all the materials

Collect all the required materials you will need during a safe cleaning. Here is a list of supplies you must need to gather for a proper cleaning without getting into trouble.

• Ladder for reaching the gutter. Use a strong ladder, which can bear the weight of you and other supplies.
• Gloves, wear suitable gloves to protect your hands from any dirt and debris. It will also save you from any cuts or hand injuries.
• Eyewear, protective eye wears are necessary. Once you entered the place, you never know what will come next. Wasps, bees and other insects are common leaving the place once they had a sensation of someone entering.
• Rubber shoes, rubber or leather shoes are essential for walking on the roof to get the debris cleaned, as they help to stick on the floor, preventing slipping.
• Bucket, take buckets with you to fill it with any debris, or also, if you need a water bucket to give it a splash.
• Garden hose. They are very much helpful in adjusting those tiny pipes and maintain water pressure inside the pipe.

Clean your roof first

Before heading towards the main issue, you need to check and clean your roof, check out for leaves, sticks, and dead animals, sweep away any dirt clogging the way. Or else, the next rain will sweep away all the debris into the gutter and making it a clog again.

Unclogging the downspouts

Check your ladder pipe (downspouts), and it should be cleaned. After clearing all kind of dirt and debris, splash a whole wave of water into the downspouts, if the water bounce back, it means some clog is still there. For this, the whole downspout and back need to be separated and flushed out from top to bottom. The water will take away any remaining clog along itself.

Power line threat

Make sure your electrical cables are safe while conducting a gutter cleaning. When cleaning gutters near a power line, you need to be extra careful to avoid any mishaps. Especially during the monsoon season, never try to clean your gutter without checking the wear or tear of wires. Do not try to repair it, call some professional electrician, who can manage it. Even if it is not raining, checking the cables would be a good idea before cleaning gutters.

Use gutter guards

Invest your money on durable gutter guards. Gutter guards can guard debris making its way into the gutter. It works as a filter, and it will filter off big particles preventing them from going down and clog your gutters. Use a gutter guard made up of steel or aluminum for better work. Gutter guards will give you relief from the need to clean your gutter every year. Make sure your gutter guard is able enough to keep leaves and other materials away.

Take help from professional services

There are many gutter cleaning services in Brampton, easily approachable by people. If you are having any difficulty doing the job, let the workers do their job. Small clogged are indeed cleanable, and the issue comes when there is a significant blockage problem. Contact any company, which can resolve your issue.

Inspect your gutter after every cleanup

Look out for any damage or crack which might be caused during the cleanup session. Ensure the downspout and other pipes are still appropriately attached to the walls, and there is no chance of any leakage left behind.

Use splash block for safe drainage

Splash block, block any muddy water to get drained inside your foundation or walls. During rain, the water can run down the downspout, directly coming in contact with your walls, staining it with obstinate stains which are hard to remove.

Finishing

Having proper knowledge of cleaning the gutter would make it much easier for anyone to clean their gutters without professional help. Clogged gutters can give birth to big problems, diseases topping the list, water spillage, and erosion, which is another matter of concern. Moreover, no one will like filthy, smelly water to run down their houses, polluting the environment. Make sure to follow all the above gutter cleaning tips to maintain a hygienic atmosphere. Along with gutter services we also provide residential window cleaning services in Markham & Brampton.

Window cleaning and structural home maintenance often take a backseat what with spring cleaning and winter readiness taking up all your time. Fortunately, you can go the professional route and find a reliable cleaning company that can take on the job for you. Professional window cleaning promises impeccable cleaning and regular maintenance for your property.

Planned cleaning often benefits the house more than you would imagine. It prevents structural damages from becoming permanent or expanding into major concerns.

What does a window cleaning service do?

A professional window cleaning service will follow a step-by-step procedure to deliver maximum benefits. They are trained for complex jobs and use industrial gear to ensure safety when workers are rendering the service

Inspection

The first step is an inspection where an expert from their company will assess the state of the windows and then devises the correct plan of action. This is also done to generate estimates to provide customers with an approximate or exact cost for the service.

Scheduling

They will then schedule a cleaning time according to your convenience. This is especially true for commercial properties as some businesses prefer weekend cleaning routine or after-hours work.

Guaranteed results and in time completion

Professional window cleaners promise visibly clean exteriors for your property. Whether your offices are covered in windows from top to bottom or you just want cleaner windows for your house, you can expect the same level of professionalism for both projects.

You can discuss a completion time with them beforehand and expect their cleaners to deliver impeccable cleaning at the given time. Professional cleaning businesses also take responsibility in case the cleaning isn’t up to standard.

You can book routine cleaning services as well where professionals will clean out the windows regularly at a decided time without causing you any inconvenience.

One might assume that dry leaves falling into open-faced gutters isn’t as big a concern as made out to be. But with time you will realize that it is never a good idea to leave things as be. Everything in infrastructure is connected to make a home livable or a commercial venue useable. For things to run smoothly, you have to address potential problems at the root rather than wait for things to get out of hand. If you suspect rains or are starting to see a buildup of debris that can be detected from the ground, take immediate action and call in professionals for gutter cleaning.

If not done in time following can be the potential risks

Clogged up gutters

Roof gutters are in place to allow a smooth flow of rainwater from the rooftop through the downspout into the correct drainage system. Gutters loaded with dirt, grime, and debris prevent this function leading to overspills across the roof and onto the walls.

Insects and mold

If you finally decide to remove the leaves and debris from the eavestrough, you will witness unsightly creatures living under the wet and soggy layers of leaves that have been left in place too long.

In some cases, this is accompanied by algae, fungus, mold, and grimy substances that have turned the base of the roof-gutter green and grey. Removal at this point requires harsher techniques and professional cleaners to get things in order.

Water damage

This is a consequence of irregular maintenance. Over time cracks and spills can seep into the structure causing irreparable damages across the roof. It is necessary to invest in professional cleanups depending on the weather conditions and roof-gutter systems on your property. Water damage is the leading cause of untimely deterioration in homes.

Homes are investments. To continue living safely in one, you have to maintain, repair, and add upgrades now and then. Roof gutters and windows are also a part of the house that requires timely maintenance without which wear and tear become eminent.

Depending on where you are located and the weather conditions, roof gutter cleaning may be more of a seasonal necessity. However, is just cleaning enough? The same applies to window maintenance. In most homes window cleaning and maintenance take a back seat until signs of use become prominent.

It is better to be proactive, consider the following reasons to invest in the roof-top gutter and home-window maintenance

The life spans

Roof-top gutters are built on complex systems with layers of fascia, downspouts, rafters, eavestroughs, and several other components depending on the type of roof you have. What can compromise the integrity of this complex system is a cracked roof-gutter.

Roof gutters run along the entire roof and a single crack can be the cause for water seeping into the beans, algae, and mold forming, or insects building colonies on your property. similarly, windows across the property can be affected by weather, water, and pest damage and you would not be able to curb the damage without regular maintenance. Maintenance rendered by professionals arguably increases their life span.

Unproblematic function

Well-kept roof-gutters, windows, doors, and other portions of the structure tend to keep things running smoothly throughout the year. You don’t have to worry about when the snow melts or if it rains during autumn. A well-maintained system allows for an unhindered flow of water from the roof into the sewerage system without spilling or seeping into the structure.