One of the biggest maintenance issues we struggle with in the Tri-Lakes and Black Forest areas is gutter cleaning. This area features a lot of Ponderosa Pine and as these trees grow they lose a lot of needles, most end up on the ground but a lot of them end up in the gutters.
Gutters full of pine needles is becoming a big deal on property inspections. Gutters need to be cleaned regularly in order to avoid water damage, overspills and ice dams. Plus, dirty gutters create a breeding ground for carpenter ants, mosquitoes and other pests.
Cleaning gutters is a painstaking process of climbing a ladder cleaning the gutters, repositioning the ladder, repeat, repeat, etc…Hiring this job out is costly as well. Depending on the size of the home, bids can range from a couple of hundred dollars to thousands. Since this is an annual ritual, living in the trees can get a little pricey.
The iRobot Looj just might be the answer. This little auger crawls along through your gutters brushing out debris, leaves and pine needles. You still have to climb the ladder to put it in the gutter but once up and once down.
I live in the trees so I’m buying one! I’ll let ya’ll know if it works.
