Guide To Home Improvement - Maintaining Your Rain Gutters

Rain gutters are wonderful devices, channeling the water that runs off the roof away from the house to prevent water damage. But gutters also require periodic maintenance if they are to function properly and keep their appearance. Keeping your gutters clean is critical for preventing clogs. Products like gutter guards can help keep the gutters free of debris.

Those Ugly Stains

But there is another rain gutter problem, one so common that there is even a name for it. The problem is "tiger stripes," those ugly vertical stains that appear on aluminum rain gutters. No matter how nice the exterior of the home, those tiger stripe stains spoil its overall appearance.

What Are They?

Tiger stripe stains are caused by a combination of roofing materials, which flow into, and onto, the gutters, sugar pollens, and natural elements such as sunlight and temperature variations. Once they are well established, they are very difficult to remove by normal methods such as power washing.

How To Clean Them?

Since the stains are not mere dirt, but are chemically bonded to the aluminum gutter, they are particularly resistant to normal cleaning methods. However, there is a product called MarXoff (patent pending) that claims to remove tiger stripe stains using most all-purpose cleaners. MarXoff is an applicator designed to fit the gutter's exterior surface contours. An added bonus is its reach, eliminating the need to use a latter to reach most gutters.

The Long-Term Solution

But if you want to save yourself from performing a recurring cleaning job, the best and most permanent solution is to paint your gutters with an exterior stain-killing coating. Use a product such as XIM, Zinsser, or Masterchem, and then cover with an exterior trim paint. Another permanent solution is to replace your old aluminum gutters with vinyl. But regardless of which solution you choose, removal of those "tiger stripe" stains will enhance the beauty of your home.

About the Author:

Roger Diez is a freelance writer who has installed both decks and patios in his homes.