Finally started cleaning the gutters, as I hear we have a storm
coming to California. (Why do I always wait 'till the end?).

I presume you guys do it the same way (ladder + hose + snake)?

Here is what the gutters looked like, to start with:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8565/1...28b81869_c.jpg

The downspouts were clogged with leaves and debris:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8614/1...be62e785_b.jpg

They also had a lot of mud for some reason clogging them up:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8671/1...e5f92d5d_b.jpg

The hose didn't work all that well on the down spouts:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7516/1...c93bedcd_c.jpg

But, eventually the hose cleaned out the gutter itself:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7511/1...49673dcb_b.jpg

It was cumbersome on a ladder, with the gutter in the way, in
the wind and rain (my fault for waiting for the storm to build);
but what seemed to work best was a 30-foot snake, which only went
in about 20 feet:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7480/1...c68d4979_b.jpg

Unfortunately, all my downspouts are buried so I can't easily
get in the other way. I'll have to get back to it after the storm
because their is still standing water in the gutters:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7487/1...489e451a_c.jpg

BTW, check out this industrial strength weed whacker parked
on the side of the road ...
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8622/1...25997e24_b.jpg

On Thu, 11 Dec 2014 03:22:20 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

Finally started cleaning the gutters, as I hear we have a storm
coming to California. (Why do I always wait 'till the end?).

I presume you guys do it the same way (ladder + hose + snake)?

Here is what the gutters looked like, to start with:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8565/1...28b81869_c.jpg

The downspouts were clogged with leaves and debris:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8614/1...be62e785_b.jpg

They also had a lot of mud for some reason clogging them up:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8671/1...e5f92d5d_b.jpg

The hose didn't work all that well on the down spouts:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7516/1...c93bedcd_c.jpg

But, eventually the hose cleaned out the gutter itself:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7511/1...49673dcb_b.jpg

It was cumbersome on a ladder, with the gutter in the way, in
the wind and rain (my fault for waiting for the storm to build);
but what seemed to work best was a 30-foot snake, which only went
in about 20 feet:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7480/1...c68d4979_b.jpg

Unfortunately, all my downspouts are buried so I can't easily
get in the other way. I'll have to get back to it after the storm
because their is still standing water in the gutters:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7487/1...489e451a_c.jpg

BTW, check out this industrial strength weed whacker parked
on the side of the road ...
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8622/1...25997e24_b.jpg

I put gutter guards on 4 years ago and have not had to clean a gutter
since. They don't fill with ice and tear off any more either (up here
in Central Ontario snow country)

Danny D. wrote:

BTW, check out this industrial strength weed whacker parked
on the side of the road ...
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8622/1...25997e24_b.jpg

That is not a weed whacker , that sir is a bush hog . That one looks to
have the blades pivoted on a reinforced area of the disk . One I worked on
recently had a 1" X 4" bar as the member that the blades mounted to , the
disc was just to keep debris from the bearing and stuff above . Those will
take down a 2" tree and not even blink .

--
Snag

Terry Coombs wrote, on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 21:36:40 -0600:

That one looks to
have the blades pivoted on a reinforced area of the disk

I held those two blades in my hand.
They're basically two thick rectangles of steel on a pivot pin
that swing free.

I wouldn't want to be anywhere near them when they're moving.

Danny D. wrote:
Terry Coombs wrote, on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 21:36:40 -0600:

That one looks to
have the blades pivoted on a reinforced area of the disk

I held those two blades in my hand.
They're basically two thick rectangles of steel on a pivot pin
that swing free.

I wouldn't want to be anywhere near them when they're moving.

They can fershure sling **** . Most of the roadside mowers up here have
"curtains" of short pieces of chain - heavy chain . I've considered fabbing
something similar (the blade , not the curtain) for the 46" mower deck that
mounts on my little tractor . I don't really have any "lawn" but there's
some brushy growth in the orchard that this would work on just dandy .

--
Snag

"Danny D." writes:

Finally started cleaning the gutters, as I hear we have a storm
coming to California. (Why do I always wait 'till the end?).

I presume you guys do it the same way (ladder + hose + snake)?

Nope.
Ladder to climb to roof.
Use back pack blower and blow all the leaves out.

I never had a tile roof, I suppose you don't want to walk on it.

--
Dan Espen

On 12/10/2014 10:22 PM, Danny D. wrote:
Finally started cleaning the gutters, as I hear we have a storm
coming to California. (Why do I always wait 'till the end?).


This year I find out that my Mom has a thing
about gutters, and I've been on the ladder
several times. One time, I got the backs cleared,
and the ladder put away. And about that moment
she decided to tell me the reason I'm up there
is that when it rains, the water pours over the
edge, instead of draining. Sigh.

A friend loaned me electric leaf blower, which
moved a lot of leaves. I later tried my little
electric power washer on the backs, it removed
the black rot rather easier than hand scooping.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

Dan Espen wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 00:19:55 -0500:

I never had a tile roof, I suppose you don't want to walk on it.

I have read all about how to walk on the tiles, yet, *every* time
I go up there, I break more.

Stormin Mormon wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 07:41:49 -0500:

A friend loaned me electric leaf blower, which
moved a lot of leaves. I later tried my little
electric power washer on the backs, it removed
the black rot rather easier than hand scooping.

I had thought about using the gas blower or the gas power
washer - but - the hose worked reasonably well on the
gutters, so, I didn't bring them.

On Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:30:23 AM UTC-5, Danny D. wrote:
Stormin Mormon wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 07:41:49 -0500:

A friend loaned me electric leaf blower, which
moved a lot of leaves. I later tried my little
electric power washer on the backs, it removed
the black rot rather easier than hand scooping.

I had thought about using the gas blower or the gas power
washer - but - the hose worked reasonably well on the
gutters, so, I didn't bring them.

I just reach in with a gloved hand and put the leaves in a bucket.
No hose, no snake. What little debris is left in the bottom, doesn't
matter. Never had a leader need snaking either.

trader_4 wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 05:34:45 -0800:

I just reach in with a gloved hand and put the leaves in a bucket.
No hose, no snake. What little debris is left in the bottom, doesn't
matter. Never had a leader need snaking either.

I'll snap a picture of my "leaders" but right now it's still dark outside
and the Pineapple Express is howling over the mountains facing the Pacific
(with gusts, I'm told from 35 to 95 mph). I can hear it but I don't have
a measuring tool (other than debris is blowing all over the place).

If it lets up, I'll see if I can get up to the third roof (which is about
30 feet high and I, unfortunately, only have a 28-foot ladder) which, if
I pick just the right spot, has about 4 or 6 inches to spare at the gutter.

My leaders seem to be different than the ones I see on the Internet videos,
which are usually huge 4-inch wide rectangular corrugated large tubes with
huge 4x2-inch openings near the foundation.

Mine seem to be smaller 1.5" diameter circular "pipes" which go into the
ground. I'm sure they pop up somewhere, but I don't know where. So I
can only snake them from the top, which also is different than most.

Most I've seen on the net have the hole in the BOTTOM of the gutter,
whereas mine are all in the side. That means it's harder to get a snake
in because the gutter wall is in the way.

On Thursday, December 11, 2014 9:45:00 AM UTC-5, Danny D. wrote:
trader_4 wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 05:34:45 -0800:

I just reach in with a gloved hand and put the leaves in a bucket.
No hose, no snake. What little debris is left in the bottom, doesn't
matter. Never had a leader need snaking either.

I'll snap a picture of my "leaders" but right now it's still dark outside
and the Pineapple Express is howling over the mountains facing the Pacific
(with gusts, I'm told from 35 to 95 mph). I can hear it but I don't have
a measuring tool (other than debris is blowing all over the place).

If it lets up, I'll see if I can get up to the third roof (which is about
30 feet high and I, unfortunately, only have a 28-foot ladder) which, if
I pick just the right spot, has about 4 or 6 inches to spare at the gutter.

My leaders seem to be different than the ones I see on the Internet videos,
which are usually huge 4-inch wide rectangular corrugated large tubes with
huge 4x2-inch openings near the foundation.

Mine seem to be smaller 1.5" diameter circular "pipes" which go into the
ground.

That sounds real bad. I have typical ones, and even on mine, I have
to wonder what they were thinking. Some of the openings into the leaders
are only about 2.5" wide. Like it would kill them to make them larger
so maybe more stuff could go in without them clogging?

I see some parts of CA they are forecasting 8" of rain in 20 hours.
Good news is that recent storms are ending the long drought. Bad news
is all that water in such a short time brings it;s own problems....

On 12/11/2014 8:30 AM, Danny D. wrote:
Stormin Mormon wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 07:41:49 -0500:

A friend loaned me electric leaf blower, which
moved a lot of leaves. I later tried my little
electric power washer on the backs, it removed
the black rot rather easier than hand scooping.

I had thought about using the gas blower or the gas power
washer - but - the hose worked reasonably well on the
gutters, so, I didn't bring them.


If it's working; continue.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

trader_4 wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 06:55:23 -0800:

That sounds real bad. I have typical ones, and even on mine, I have
to wonder what they were thinking. Some of the openings into the leaders
are only about 2.5" wide. Like it would kill them to make them larger
so maybe more stuff could go in without them clogging?

I just went outside to snap a picture of the "leaders" for you.

Here is a typical leader, with a rule next to it for size:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7498/1...3c90f0c9_b.jpg

The leader comes from the inside side of the gutter and goes into
the concrete (there is nothing but ground under the concrete).
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7521/1...465140f4_c.jpg

They all go into the ground, except the top (3rd) floor, which
just spills onto the next roof which then spills into the 2nd
floor gutter which goes into the ground (as do the 1st floor
gutters).

Sorry for the lousy pictures. Dropped my phone off a cliff last
time we were hiking and scrambling down a ravine in the mountains.
It was either the kid I was belaying or the phone ... and it was
a difficult choice at the time.

Stormin Mormon wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 10:19:42 -0500:

If it's working; continue.

The hardest part is that the Werner ladder that I have is only
28 feet long.

That works for most of the gutters, but some are higher than
the ladder. If I put the ladder foot on a ledge, I can just
about get a few inches over the lip of the gutter, but, the
gutter is 30 feet long and so I can only get to one end of it
even at that.

Lesson learned: 32 foot ladders are useful, if heavy.

On Thu, 11 Dec 2014 15:22:41 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

The leader comes from the inside side of the gutter and goes into
the concrete (there is nothing but ground under the concrete).
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7521/1...465140f4_c.jpg

Are you able to remove the downspouts easily? (not glued)

(There are nozzles for high pressure water jetting)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR8ft6FtwmU

On Thu, 11 Dec 2014 13:28:26 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

I never had a tile roof, I suppose you don't want to walk on it.

I have read all about how to walk on the tiles, yet, *every* time
I go up there, I break more.

I walk in the valley (s) of the tile and not the peak (s). I've not
broken them before. Wearing tennis shoes makes me fell more
comfortable, walking on the tile. It is like "walking on egg shells".

Oren wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 09:26:02 -0800:


I walk in the valley (s) of the tile and not the peak (s). I've not
broken them before. Wearing tennis shoes makes me fell more
comfortable, walking on the tile. It is like "walking on egg shells".

(a) You probably aren't as fat as I am, and,
(b) My tiles are 're-roofing' tiles (not originals).

So, they're especially 'breaky' (unfortunately).
I still have to go up and repair some ... sigh.

"Danny D." writes:

Oren wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 09:26:02 -0800:


I walk in the valley (s) of the tile and not the peak (s). I've not
broken them before. Wearing tennis shoes makes me fell more
comfortable, walking on the tile. It is like "walking on egg shells".

(a) You probably aren't as fat as I am, and,
(b) My tiles are 're-roofing' tiles (not originals).

So, they're especially 'breaky' (unfortunately).
I still have to go up and repair some ... sigh.

Good info.
I think tile roofs look great.
But if you can't walk on them, I don't think I want one.

--
Dan Espen

On Thu, 11 Dec 2014 19:16:37 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

I walk in the valley (s) of the tile and not the peak (s). I've not
broken them before. Wearing tennis shoes makes me fell more
comfortable, walking on the tile. It is like "walking on egg shells".

(a) You probably aren't as fat as I am, and,

hah

(b) My tiles are 're-roofing' tiles (not originals).

Some areas in PRK recycle hand made Spanish tile (clay). A cottage
industry for contractors.

So, they're especially 'breaky' (unfortunately).

Yes.

I still have to go up and repair some ... sigh.

Concrete Standard Weight Tiles; are much better....

http://www.arcat.com/photos/monier/144974.jpg

Oren wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 08:51:17 -0800:

Are you able to remove the downspouts easily? (not glued)

I looked at most of the dozen or so spouts, and nary a one
has a joint that is accessible anywhere.

Here's one:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8678/1...92390a9e_c.jpg
And another:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7541/1...15bc19b5_b.jpg
And another:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7492/1...fc1abbfc_c.jpg
And another:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7555/1...a7b7a277_b.jpg

Here are where they go into the ground but from there I don't know:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7570/1...c281fc98_b.jpg
Here's another one going into the ground (notice the black pipe):
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7485/1...5f62203a_b.jpg

I searched downhill from that black pipe above, and finally found
this, after clearing away brush, with a new waterfall digging a
new ravine into the side of the hill!
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7567/1...2e112c6e_b.jpg

It looked new, to me, that this was spewing water into the steep
muddy hillside far down from the house (about 100 feet or so):
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8608/1...a75f603f_c.jpg

So, I threw some scrap sandstone into the hole to protect it a bit:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7506/1...398cc25e_c.jpg

Do they make something to put at the end of those two pipes to
protect the hillside from washing away in the rain from the
waterfalls?

Oren wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 08:51:17 -0800:

(There are nozzles for high pressure water jetting)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR8ft6FtwmU

That video was confusing because it didn't seem to be on
a garden hose but it seemed to be on a pressure washer wand
metal tube.

I do have a pressure washer (a nice Honda from Costco, IIRC)
which came with five (colored) tips, one of which will cut
a hole through concrete, I swear, while the other end of
the spectrum is what I use most, as it alone, even being the
softest, will dig a hole through wood.

I rarely use the pressure washer nowadays, mainly because
my garden hoses are at 80psi, and they all have brass nozzles
(I learned to use the all-brass ones from Ace and to deprecate
those composite ones from Lowes, & Home Depot and to deplore
the plastic ones from OSH or the single-rubber o-ring Chinese
but all-brass ones from Harbor Freight).

Being that I'm sort of a double-o-ring-all-brass-garden-hose
nozzle expert by now, I pretty much do most of my cleaning with
the garden hose (which I have at least 500 feet of, or more so
I can go all over the house with just a single connection).

Danny D. wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 20:40:42 +0000:

It looked new, to me, that this was spewing water into the steep
muddy hillside far down from the house (about 100 feet or so):
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8608/1...a75f603f_c.jpg

BTW, this is spewing out on a steep almost-vertical cliff of mud.

I wonder, if, when I have the time/energy/money/inclination, etc.,
if there is a way to *capture* all that water that is spewing off
my roof?

I tasted the water and it's clean and it looks clear, and the roof
is tile so it's as clean as can be. If I keep the gutters clean,
the water should be drinkable (it's just rainwater, after all).

At the very least, I can use it in the pool (which is a few
hundred feet away from this drainage opening).

The pipes look broken, so they look like they still went further,
but this is a good 100 feet from the house so it's on a steep
hillside of mud.

I wonder if there is an inexpensive holding tank that I can put
on the hillside to capture this water for re-use during the
dry times (which is 90% of the year)?

Do any of you capture your rainwater for re-use?

On Thu, 11 Dec 2014 20:40:42 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

Here's another one going into the ground (notice the black pipe):
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7485/1...5f62203a_b.jpg


I'll guess that black pipe is a drainage type, perforated pipe. Holes
in the pipe to disperse water.

I searched downhill from that black pipe above, and finally found
this, after clearing away brush, with a new waterfall digging a
new ravine into the side of the hill!
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7567/1...2e112c6e_b.jpg

It looks corrugated an not the perforated type.

It looked new, to me, that this was spewing water into the steep
muddy hillside far down from the house (about 100 feet or so):
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8608/1...a75f603f_c.jpg

So, I threw some scrap sandstone into the hole to protect it a bit:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7506/1...398cc25e_c.jpg

Prevents some erosion

Do they make something to put at the end of those two pipes to
protect the hillside from washing away in the rain from the
waterfalls?

Try a few buckets of pebbles or rocks to reduce erosion

Oren wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 13:06:55 -0800:

Try a few buckets of pebbles or rocks to reduce erosion

I think all the other drainage pipes must be buried because
I've never seen them pop out of the ground like this one
does.

I suspect there are at least three or four outlets, as the
house is on a hill so all four sides slope downward, so, it
wouldn't make sense to curl around the house from the other
side to here.

So, I think, the system was designed to be totally underground.
That means, I think, that there "may" be a holding tank somewhere.

Maybe it goes into the leach field system? That one set of outflow
pipes (black and white) is in the general vicinity of the leach
field.

Is it normal for roof drainage to go underground into a leach field?

Danny D. wrote:
Finally started cleaning the gutters, as I hear we have a storm
coming to California. (Why do I always wait 'till the end?).

I presume you guys do it the same way (ladder + hose + snake)?

I use my 5HP (real) compressor at 150 PSI and a 10 foot air blast device made of
1/2" copper pipe with 2 threaded PVC street "L"s for angle control and a 1/8"
nozzle at the blaster end and a ball valve at the lower control end. But then,
my cedar gutters don't have any hangers to stop the crud from blowing out
quickly.






7471650_64be62e785_b.jpg

They also had a lot of mud for some reason clogging them up:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8671/1...e5f92d5d_b.jpg

That's decomposed leaves, from failure to clean often enough.


The hose didn't work all that well on the down spouts:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7516/1...c93bedcd_c.jpg

But, eventually the hose cleaned out the gutter itself:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7511/1...49673dcb_b.jpg

It was cumbersome on a ladder, with the gutter in the way, in
the wind and rain (my fault for waiting for the storm to build);
but what seemed to work best was a 30-foot snake, which only went
in about 20 feet:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7480/1...c68d4979_b.jpg

Unfortunately, all my downspouts are buried so I can't easily
get in the other way. I'll have to get back to it after the storm
because their is still standing water in the gutters:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7487/1...489e451a_c.jpg

I hope you didn't wash all tha gutter crud down the downspouts. Doing that will
eventually plug up the drain field, making it useless. Adding screens of some
sort in front of the drain hole to the downspout can significantly increase the
life of the underground drain system.

Is the standing water above the downspout hole, or is it just a slope of the
gutter problem?

Danny D. wrote:
Oren wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 13:06:55 -0800:

Try a few buckets of pebbles or rocks to reduce erosion

I think all the other drainage pipes must be buried because
I've never seen them pop out of the ground like this one
does.

I suspect there are at least three or four outlets, as the
house is on a hill so all four sides slope downward, so, it
wouldn't make sense to curl around the house from the other
side to here.

So, I think, the system was designed to be totally underground.
That means, I think, that there "may" be a holding tank somewhere.

Highly unlikely.



Maybe it goes into the leach field system? That one set of outflow
pipes (black and white) is in the general vicinity of the leach
field.

Is it normal for roof drainage to go underground into a leach field?

It is pretty common. It is possible that the pipes you show are overflow pipes
from the drain filed, or they could be a direct pipe from the gutters. Or, they
could drain the foundation area of the house. I have no idea what code may be in
your area.

Dan Espen wrote:
"Danny D." writes:

Finally started cleaning the gutters, as I hear we have a storm
coming to California. (Why do I always wait 'till the end?).

I presume you guys do it the same way (ladder + hose + snake)?

Nope.
Ladder to climb to roof.
Use back pack blower and blow all the leaves out.

I never had a tile roof, I suppose you don't want to walk on it.


The stuff I take is often packed pretty well. I get on my hands and knees.

Greg

On Thu, 11 Dec 2014 21:43:35 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

Oren wrote, on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 13:06:55 -0800:

Try a few buckets of pebbles or rocks to reduce erosion

I think all the other drainage pipes must be buried because
I've never seen them pop out of the ground like this one
does.

I suspect there are at least three or four outlets, as the
house is on a hill so all four sides slope downward, so, it
wouldn't make sense to curl around the house from the other
side to here.

So, I think, the system was designed to be totally underground.
That means, I think, that there "may" be a holding tank somewhere.

Maybe it goes into the leach field system? That one set of outflow
pipes (black and white) is in the general vicinity of the leach
field.

Is it normal for roof drainage to go underground into a leach field?

Not that I'm aware of. Usually, water is drained via pipe to
"daylight". Have you checked your home perimeter for other places
that may indicate some erosion? Perhaps a pipe can be located trying
that. Then run a water hose up the pipe to clear it of debris.

Oren wrote, on Fri, 12 Dec 2014 10:32:04 -0800:

Not that I'm aware of. Usually, water is drained via pipe to
"daylight". Have you checked your home perimeter for other places
that may indicate some erosion? Perhaps a pipe can be located trying
that. Then run a water hose up the pipe to clear it of debris.

Right now, I'm working on the generator, but I have another pipe
on the other side that has surfaced so I will check it out.

Now that I see what these two pipes look like, I'm pretty sure the
one that has surfaced (but not the end) is a drainage pipe.

I'll double check and report back.