A How-to Guide for Removing Sap & Pollen from the Exterior of Your Gutters
Earlier this month, a bill was introduced in Ontario that would prohibit schools from including plants in their landscaping that can cause allergies to flare up. While it’s speculated that the legislation will have a tough time passing, it does highlight the fact that a property’s landscaping can be problematic. After all, some trees emit so much pollen that a fine yellow dust covers everything in sight. While others, seemingly continue to ooze sap. Both of these sources can leave unsightly residue on your seamless gutters. Here’s what you need to know about this issue.
A Word About Sap: Believe it or not, sap has more a function than making everything it comes in contact with sticky. Types of trees notorious for dripping sap include maple, elm, and birch. It’s the lifeblood of a tree that transports water and nutrients throughout the plant. Factors that can increase a tree’s sap output include trimming, pests, disease, and damage.
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A Word About Pollen: Not only does tree pollen cause allergic reactions such as sneezing, itching, and watery eyes, it can also be responsible for leaving a yellow trail on the exterior of your rain gutters. The downfall of tree pollen, which typically comes from oak and pine, is that it’s so light that it can easily be transported long distances through the air.
Protecting Yourself: Every year, 90,000 emergency room visits are the direct result of injuries that occur due to falling off a ladder. When possible, clean one piece gutters from the ground by using a painter’s pole with a soft pad on the end. This soft pad can clean the gunk that’s accumulated on the exterior of the covered gutters. If you must use a ladder, utilize one equipped with stabilizers.
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The Perfect Exterior Gutter Cleaning Solution: Mix a combination of detergent and water. It’s always smart to test the solution in a concealed area on your gutters to make sure you will have no ill effects. Once this has been done, apply the solution to your rain gutters with a sponge. After this step, be sure to rinse the detergent off with a hose so that it does not adhere to your rain gutters.
