facility focus Reduce Stress With Technologies are available that virtually eliminate the need to clean rain gutters. By: Tim Croll Image courtesy of Monzi LLC Preventative Gutter Maintenance There are few maintenance assignments less enjoyable than gutter cleaning. In fact, for many facility managers, the act can be both excruciatingly tedious and time-consuming when performed on the thousands of feet of gutter that normally surround complexes ranging from schools, hospitals and offices to commercial and industrial buildings. Unfortunately, this reality can be even harsher for personnel operating in loca-tions based near dense wooded areas or confronted by heavy storms and rain showers on a monthly basis. In addition, companies that have searched for outside aid have, in many cases, found the long-term service costs of gutter cleaning too high for already tight maintenance budgets. This is because many professionals, depending on their pricing structures, charge a set fee for the appointment, another price for each foot of gutter cleaned and additional surcharges based on the height and steepness of the rooftops. Other charges are also often assessed for the cleaning or replacement of down-spouts, which frequently require additional service in older complexes. However, there is an extremely reliable and economical alternative for keeping gutter systems relatively free of clogs and moisture. This includes the installation of certified and tested gutter protection products, which ensure water and fine particulates flow freely through gutter valleys and out T Keeping rain gutters free of debris not only reduces the chance for damaging water accumulation, it also reduces the time and money necessary to clean them. downspouts — all while preventing obstructions from entering the system. For instance, designed with high-per-formance urethane polymers, reliable gut-ter protection systems can be easily insert-ed into gutters to ensure leaves, twigs, pine needles and other possible obstruc-tions are kept from entering and clogging gutter systems. As a result, water flows readily through the foam filter insert, into the gutter valley and out the downspout to virtually eliminate overflows that can infiltrate structures to cause foundation cracks and other forms of water-related damage. In addition, some systems provide a myr-iad of other maintenance benefits through a lifetime of use. 40 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • September 2010
CMM – Archives Sept 2010: 40
