All too often, people forget about gutter cleaning and roof maintenance for the home they live in or rent out until water starts to overflow from the gutters, or leaks start to occur inside the home. When these issues arise, it usually serves as a reminder to clear the gutters and downpipes as soon as possible.

It’s advisable to clean your gutters and check the downpipes for blockages every six months. Something as simple as a tennis ball can block a downpipe, causing an overflow of water during rain. Ensure that your gutters and downpipes are cleared before winter in Adelaide, South Australia.

When roof maintenance and gutter cleaning are left until the last minute, water often ends up overflowing, leading to roof leaks inside the home. This is typically much more expensive to repair compared to the cost of regular gutter and roof maintenance, which can prevent blocked downpipes and clogged gutters. Preventative maintenance is key to avoiding costly water damage repairs.

Even in summer, a sudden heavy storm can cause severe water damage if the downpipes are blocked. Constant rain for a few hours can result in water sitting inside the ceiling of your property, and the weight of the water may eventually cause the entire ceiling to collapse. Repairing this type of water damage can be extremely costly.

One of the most common repairs you will encounter as a handyman is blocked downpipes. This issue is all too common, and if left unaddressed, your guttering and roofing can rust quickly, especially if you live near the beach. If tree leaves, sticks, and bark are regularly blocking up your gutters, you can easily unblock them by following this simple method.

You will need the following tools:

• Sturdy Ladder
• Garden Hose
• Thin Piece of Rounded Metal
• Metal Rod (2-3 meters long)
• High-Pressure Washer
• Pressure Washer Blocked Pipe Attachment

Once you have these tools, you will be ready to unblock your downpipes quickly and easily with these simple steps:

Step 1: Position the ladder beneath the blocked downpipe to gain access to the guttering from above, and climb onto the roof.

Step 2: Assess the severity of the blockage in the downpipe. If the blockage is extremely compacted with debris, it may be easier to remove the blocked downpipe and clear it that way. However, you can still unblock it while keeping the downpipe installed in its original position.

Step 3: Connect the garden hose and insert the other end into the downpipe entrance at the top of the guttering. Turn on the water to build up pressure and push the hose down into the blocked guttering downpipe. Vigorously move the hose in and out with the water still on. This method will unblock minor to medium downpipe blockages.

Step 4: Severe blockages may require additional equipment such as chemicals, steel rods, and a high-pressure washer. Use the steel rod to forcefully clear the blocked downpipe and attempt to loosen the blockage. Work from both the top and bottom of the downpipe to help break up the blockage from both sides.

Step 5: Pour in chemicals that will dissolve the materials blocking the downpipe. Use extreme caution and wear safety equipment when handling dangerous chemicals. Allow the chemical to sit in the blocked downpipe for 20-30 minutes, then attempt to clear the blockage with the steel rod. If the chemicals are effective, you will feel the blockage softening.

Step 6: At this stage, use the high-pressure washer to blast out the blockage, working in conjunction with the steel rod and chemicals to fully unblock heavily clogged commercial downpipes.

Clearing a Blocked Downpipe?

Planning to follow this guide on how to unblock downpipes? The most common question we receive regarding our gutter cleaning and blocked downpipe guide is how to fit the garden hose into the downpipe entrance. To do this, you may need to remove the hose attachments. Some hoses have attachments that are plastic welded on and may require cutting. However, most older and higher-quality garden hoses allow the attachments to be removed.

For preventive roof maintenance and gutter cleaning, Gutter Guys Adelaide offers a wide range of DIY tips, home maintenance advice, and guttering ideas for your home. Browse our website for DIY guttering tips and more detailed guides on restoring your guttering and roofing. If we clean your gutters and they appear old or worn, ask us about our free gutter and roof restoration service.