Cleaning a second story gutter

The problem with all of these pressure washer and vac systems is they're for gutters about 12-15 ft up - his are 35' up. I have one of those leaf blower setups and it works fine for the gutters 10-12ft up, but I can't imagine being able to control it 35' up. And yes, you get covered in leaf schmutz when you use it. I have 100ft pin oak trees so the leaves fall all year long......

So, the solution? I agree with spending the money to get something more permanent that doesn't require death defying acts of bravery to use several times a year.

Oh, and pay someone else to install it!!!!

35 ft up makes it pretty rough, even ladders suck at that height although I hate heights anyway.

I'd just pay someone else to do it if a lift isn't feasible 

I haven't measured the height, but we have a normal two-story house. (Well, most of it is weird, but this part is normal.)

tremm said:

??? Google tells me 18.7ft on a 2 story house. 35' doesn't pass my sniff test. Could be something unique.

Counting the bonus room in the attic. it's 3 stories. With 10 ft ceiling in "garage" ( shop) plus 1' thick flooring  12' ceiling in great room 1' thick flooring  12' ceiling on 2nd story. + 1' of Timbers 

  Actually the joists are an actual 12" plus 3&1/2" of flooring. But the gutters hang down about 8" to the bottom so not quite 35'.   But at the top of the gutters it's 5" higher. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Another option is a ladder stabilizer:

SIGNIFICANTLY steadier, leans against the house instead of the slippery gutter, and stands off the wall to make gutter access easier. 
 

If you have a somewhat standard 2 story, any of the discussed options will work. 

In reply to SV reX :

+1,000% on this suggestion.  

In reply to SV reX :

Yes to the ladder stabilizer assuming it somehow incorporates a giant standing platform, too. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

A standing platform wouldn't make it any more steady. Not in the slightest. It would just make it too top heavy and hard to handle. 
 

I hear you. 

I've used those stabilizers and they're pretty great. 

That said, I would try just about anything to not have to climb up to the gutters on my next house. 

SV reX said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

A standing platform wouldn't make it any more steady. Not in the slightest. It would just make it too top heavy and hard to handle. 
 

I hear you. 

Add stabilizers. I'm just not into heights. When I watched the dudes replace our roof–the steep part that's 2+ stories up–I was like, Nope. 

And the tree guys go up there with no problem. They have cleaned the gutters while up there. Probably time to call them, too. 

We cleaned gutters yesterday–including the one that's two stories up.

I bought one of these: Gutter Sense Gutter Cleaning Tool

I already have a long, extending pole and figured I'd make the $33 gamble. It's like cord-activated salad tongs, but for your gutters.

It worked. It even dislodged the plant life. 

Today my neck, back and hands hurt, but it worked and I can't blame the tool for that. It's like playing the claw game but two stories up. 

Tonight I'm going to attach a little camera to the pole and see how things look. 

Well, I didn't get a chance to send a camera up there, but water is flowing nicely out of the downspout. I'll take that as a win. 

And why run to the hardware store for a gutter extension when you have some leftover dryer duct from this weekend's project? 

So, were you working on a dryer? 

Or really cheap brake cooling ducts?

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Thanks for the thread! I am also a huge fan of not-heights. (actually putting up lights in the shop with a scissor lift today, and it's way better than a ladder, but as soon as this is done I'm going to turn into a pile of Jell-o and ask my wife to just pour a Manhattan into the quivering mess)

I bought a Looj fifteen years ago when it turned up super-cheap on woot.com. It wasn't everything one might've hoped. Delightful idea, just not very effective.

Glad to know there's another option. Our house finally doesn't have any trees over it this time, but the new shop isn't so lucky.

That is the sort of job I would finish with a checkbook, pay my grandson to do it.  That tool will make it much easier for him, thank you Mr Wallens

I also ordered that gutter tool.  While I generally don't have to clean the gutters on my house, I do often need to clean them on my mother's house.  I'm getting to the point where I'm not comfortable crawling along the edge of a steeply pitched roof. 

How about using compressed air with a long wand, instead of a vacuum or water, to blow them out?  I know the leaves can get pretty glued in place after a few rainfalls, so a sharp blast of air may be better for dislodging them.

I used to have to deal with cleaning second story gutters until I had Leafguard gutters installed.  I have a pretty dense tree cover with lots of leaves, but they've been perfectly functional.  i've checked them every so often and there's zero buildup of debris inside.  https://www.leafguard.com

Reviving a dead thread, my neighbor across the street has a long plastic downspout that he put a curved end on, then you stick your leaf blower in the bottom end and use the top end to blow the crap out of the gutters. I've used it almost every year as I have a pin oak in front and lots of neighbor's trees all around me. it's at best difficult to use as the pressure coming out of the end makes it hard to control, and of course you get all the wet, rotted debris floating down on you.

I have two lengths that I can reach on an 8 ft step ladder, and three sections  that I absolutely cannot reach. I paid a young guy one year to clean those and he way overcharged me, took him 10 min using his leaf blower and wanted $150! I paid him, but I won't again......

I've put two different types of gutter guards on myself, but they tend to get clogged up on their own, then I get overflows in a hard rain....

I don't know what the final answer will be for me, I'm way to old to be climbing up there anymore. My best idea would be to move to a one story house with outdoor maintenance taken care of but the bride's not having that.....

TIL... I have spent *way* too much time up on ladders lately. Lights up in the shop, 2nd story gutters,  a set of those permanent outdoor lights up under the eaves. And now that I'm done with that crap, NOW I find this thread and learn about ladder stabilizers? Well I tell you whut I'ma go buy one of those before the dern gutters back up again!