2005 Gutter Season getting close!

[hello]

Well it's been a bit since posting here in this forum.
Hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for the leaves.

Here's what changed for me since last year.

After the second year I figured I needed a raise, New customers single story ranch homes are now $130.00 for first time customers. 90.00 for repeats. Seems to be working no turn aways yet.

Anything over 2 hours is 45.00 per hour after if necessary.

Still using the 16 foot extension pole with a gutter spoon on the end, pull the stuff to me and drop in a 5 gallon bucket with nail holes in the bottom. Dry leafs with crappy yards I us the blower.

Gutter Spoon link : http://www.theguttercleaner.com/dealer_list.htm

Found that unclogging bad downspouts is easy if you drill a small hole on the top of the gutter and run a steel CB whip down the hole. Customers not home never know about the hole and when they are say no problem. This is for the gutters with L shape downs and then into the house. You know the ones I'm talking about I hope.

Have been installing the flip type gutter guards, the ones with two clips seem to be popular in this area. 130.00 for standard house after cleaning plus the mat costs. 260's not to bad.

Still using my Warner 3 foot adjustable stand offs for over the gutter reach, man those things are sweet and really hold the ladder from wobble.

Only thing that broke after two years was the extensions pole lost it's spring lock and a few gutter scoops. Not to bad.


Something I'm looking into is an attachment for my PW to snake out French drains. I was turning the work to roto router but Mite give it a try this year, Still don't know the cost by hose foot I guess. Gotta call a roto Rutter guy and ask I guess.

Anyone doing anything different from last year that seems to be working better????

Good luck to everyone! I have 4 decks jobs left then I think I'm gonna call it quits for this year. [white]

Hey Tim,

Instead of cutting holes in the downspout just shove a running hose down them. It works just as well and with no damage.

I would not recommend the screens your using at all. Check into waterfall gutter guards or a similiar variety. If you want to compare gutter guards, check out my website. I've already done it two years ago.

Henry Bockman said:

Hey Tim,

Instead of cutting holes in the downspout just shove a running hose down them. It works just as well and with no damage.

I would not recommend the screens your using at all. Check into waterfall gutter guards or a similiar variety. If you want to compare gutter guards, check out my website. I've already done it two years ago.

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Hi Henry!

Drill a small hole not cutting a hole. You should see some of the crap out here under the redwoods and oak trees, Firstime jobs can be a PITA as you may know, Acorns and little Pine cones the hose trick does not work you have to punch the crap. I do use the hose but worst case the small hole works fast.

Hey you running the same crew from last year Henry? Or are they now running there own Biz now?

Gutter guards? I hate the things! We have small leaves on the oak's out here that are hard with 7 points and sharp as hell when dry, They grab everything and rip the hell out of your hands gloves or not I don't want to get to into storing guards so I get what the local stores sell. I hate the flip type but thats what they ask for out here. I agree with you!

Hey Henry? Your picture of a guy on the roof cleaning a guter? I don't see a blower why's that? LOL

Have a great year

Gutter protection...

Forget the Waterfall product. Check this stuff out: www.gutterfilter.net

My profit margins are outrageous.

Hey Doc,

I've heard about this stuff and I'm trying to get ahold of a sample of it so I can run some tests on it. I know your in my area so I don't expect you to answer this but, is anyone out there using this stuff and what's the material cost run on it? How about the linear foot price for installation ect?

Doc-Joe said:

Forget the Waterfall product. Check this stuff out: www.gutterfilter.net

My profit margins are outrageous.

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I saw this at a home show a few months back, it's really neat looking and the demos they do really work.

The down fall in my area is a green oak moss, similar to what one would see on rocks from a garden store. This moss would grow great on the foam! The other downfall that i feel will happen is grass seed and weed seeds would use the foam to root down and create an interesting display during spring, we all see the gutters with plants growing from within, I wonder how they handle this as it's not just leaves in gutters but dust and dirt.

I would rather have the annual jobs rather than putting yourself out of biz. But I will say again this stuff has potential in certain areas.

I'm not wild about any gutter guard system to be honest.. Most of them over overpriced and don't work very well in this area. Waterfall has worked really well for us and it's easy to install also. I'm always checking on new systems though and I wouldn't mind running some tests on gutterfilter either.
Most of our clients have their gutters cleaned 2-3 times a year, not just annualy. I've also wondered what gutterfilter would do with maple and oak seedlings, these things will grow anywhere! They would be a real PITA to get out once they started growing also!

I'll let you know what my results are when I can get ahold of the gutterfilters and run some tests. They won't be very conclusive until I've had them for a year or so but this fall is turning out to be pretty strange. The latest cold weather and rain have gotten the leaves turning all of the sudden. I hope we keep getting the weekly rains, it tends to extend the gutter season a bit and people also don't wait until winter to clean them!

About 5 years ago our gutter season would kick into high gear in October, now it's closer to late november and that sucks with the temps dropping over night!

A job I did yesterday had some foam bar's put in around the downs only. The roof was made of red tile. If you have never done one of these they degrade into a soft red mud.

No tress around this house at all, inside the gutters was the standard clumps of roof moss and about an inch of dirt from the roof tiles and some mixed weeds growing reason for the clean.

The foam bricks were were clogged with the red dirt making them useless, I tried to wash one with a standard garden hose and seeing as it took a good ten Min's to just clean the brick sized chunk and not very well we decided to just toss them.

The customer was shocked at the amount of debris I took out, he thought he would never have to do them as he has no trees around. This foam stuff they are putting in gutters mite last a year after that the cleaning and removal would be a big PITA not worth the investment. He said when he bought the house he put in the foam bricks after reading an article in a magazine and that was five years ago.

I've seen those foam brick things before and that's why I wanted to run some tests on the gutter filters. I'm not convinced that the same thing wouldn't happen with them as stuff get's stuck in them. I also want to make sure they won't hold water, if they do then freeze the could cause some serious damage to the gutters when they expand.

I think those foam things will give you a bad name if you start selling them. I saw the website and it looks like it will make a good planter after 6months to a year. stick to cleaning. Steady easy work. If the customer wants a guard, be honest show them what you sell and let them know that stuff still gets in there and they will need cleaning in the future (depending on what type of debris) and it will cost double. There is no no clog system out there. I have seen them and cleaned them all. Gutter cleaning is a big part of my business and I would rather sell contracts for cleaning then to sell them a guard which take more time to clean. Of course if they want them I'll install them but I never push the issue. Cant wait till these leaves fall, I'm starving over here!

I have to agree with you Cat, I've never been big on pushing gutter guards either. If people REALLY want them, I'll sell and install them. I prefer maintenance contracts also and we have quite a few of them..

Cat Powerwash said:

Cant wait till these leaves fall, I'm starving over here!

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Same here on the left coast! Not Starving just not getting leaf drop yet, My regulars are calling but setting up for mid November, Thats fine for me we don't get that cold out here but the rain is not fun working in once your book is set you sort of have to keep it or you'll over work yourself.

Hey! How bought rain gear? Right now I use the thick Yellow Hardware store kind, I saw the light weight ones at Costco the other day and was thinking they mite work? Anyone have a choice? or brand they like that's not 200 bucks?

The yellow one I like calling Suna Suits! [bat] Hey it's holloween!