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DIY vs. Professional Spouting Repair: Which is the Best Option?

apisl2008 • November 12, 2024

Kiwi’s are known for their ‘can-do’ attitude, and when it comes to DIY, many are pretty handy with the fundamentals. So what about spouting clean & repair? How important is your spouting system, and what is the smartest approach to keeping it tidy and functional?

When we think about repairs, we are looking for a quality job at a good price, and when it comes to DIY, it’s important to know your limits and have a number to call when you need a professional you can trust.

Here, we will relay a few of the basic steps towards keeping your spouting maintained in good order, and we will highlight when it’s time to hand the tools over to the experts. Read on to discover the best option for your situation.

What is Spouting?

Most of us will have a vague idea about what constitutes spouting, however we may not understand how important it is that your spouting is functioning at the highest level. Your spouting is an integral part of your overall roofing system, and if it gets clogged or broken, that system can begin to break down in ways that may lead to severe damage on your property.

Spouting Components

Your spouting—also called guttering—consists of channels which come in sections and can be made of materials like plastic, vinyl, copper or steel. These are held in place with brackets which help the spouting to maintain the correct slope for drainage. It is essential that your brackets or clips are properly spaced to suit the environment your property deals with in terms of rain or snow, as improperly placed brackets may result in sagging or sudden or slow moving detachment.

Your spouting also has ‘elbows’, which are designed to connect the horizontal sections to the pipes that carry the water out of your gutters—the downpipes. The elbows also direct the flow of water around the corners of your roof. Your spouting has mitres to shore up the corner joints; it may have a leaf guard, and where the gutter ends, you will have splash blocks to guide water away from your structure. Alongside all these elements, you sometimes find leader heads that collect and funnel overflow, and you will have downpipe straps that keep your downpipes securely fastened to your structure.

DIY for Spouting Clean & Repair

You can see from this explanation that your spouting is actually quite a complex system with a lot of different parts that all need to function together to protect your property from water ingress. If any of these components fails, then your property becomes vulnerable to water damage, so it’s really important to be certain that you know what you are doing when it comes to taking care of your spouting.

Saving Money

The most obvious reason you would opt for DIY spouting clean and repair is to save a bit of money. While it may be that you can get up on a ladder and have a crack at the gutters yourself, it’s really not recommended. DIY gutter repair is one of those tasks that can quickly get out of hand, and it is essential to remember that properly spaced brackets provide a precise angle which must be maintained in order for water to keep flowing away from your property.

At the end of the day, attempting to keep your maintenance bills down by attempting spouting clean and repair yourself may end up costing you money in remediation and damage caused by knocking your system out of sync.

Spouting Clean & Repair is Dangerous

While many property owners may have a ladder in the shed and feel quite comfortable clambering up to roof height, you would be surprised how many accidents are caused by this each year. Did you know that Worksafe attributes around 70 per cent of all falls to falls from ladders and roofs? Working at height requires proper training and safety equipment, so parking your ladder and climbing up with tools, new gutter parts, or cleaning equipment is just not a good idea without training, experience and skills under your belt.

Preventative Maintenance

Preventative spouting clean & repair is highly recommended to offset the need for premature replacement damage to your property and to ensure that when there are small issues developing with your gutters, you can stop them in their tracks before they escalate into expensive headaches. Failed spouting can cause water and organic matter to gather on your roof, leading to mould, mildew, rust, corrosion and leaks. It can also allow water to seep inside your cladding and affect your integral structure—it may even seep into your foundations, leading to catastrophic damage.

Time to Call the Experts?

If you have come to the conclusion that it’s just not worth the risk to attempt spouting clean & repair on your own, we think you are making a smart move. It’s just not worth the physical and financial risk.

The team at Arthurs Roof & Property can deal with your spouting clean & repair tasks safely at a competitive price, so get in touch now for all your clogged gutters, leaky joints, broken brackets and more.

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How to Safely and Effectively Remove Roof Lichen

By apisl2008 • April 1, 2025

Learn the safest and most effective methods for lichen removal—from DIY tips to expert treatments. Protect your roof and your home.

Why Choose Professional Roof Lichen Treatment for Lasting Results

By apisl2008 • March 26, 2025

If lichen has started its slow creep onto your roof, then you’re probably looking into a few different roof lichen treatment options. There are a lot of them out there, from home-brewed DIY suggestions to full-on professional-grade formulations applied by trained experts. While it’s tempting to choose the DIY route, there’s definitely a case for bringing the professionals in. Professional roof lichen treatment provides lasting results, which is a major plus when it comes to ultra-persistent lichen. Read on as we break down why choosing professional roof lichen treatment can be a major benefit for your roof, now and in the future. The Trouble with DIY Roof Lichen Removal DIY treatments might seem like a quick and easy fix, but they often don’t do the job properly. A lot of home remedies like vinegar, bleach, or store-bought sprays might knock lichen back for a while, but they don’t always get rid of it completely. Lichen is a tough little thing. It’s technically a collection of different organisms, from fungi to bacteria, so it can be difficult to kill with a single DIY treatment. That means it tends to cling on for dear life, and once it takes hold, it’s not going anywhere without a fight. Some homeowners try scrubbing it off or blasting it with a water blaster, but that comes with its own risks. Too much pressure can damage your roof, and if you don’t remove all the spores, the lichen will be back before you know it. The other issue? Most DIY solutions don’t offer long-term protection. You might get rid of what’s visible now, but without a proper treatment plan that kills the base fungus, lichen will just return, meaning more hassle (and cost) for you down the line. Why Professional Roof Lichen Treatment is Worth It They Know What They’re Doing Professional roof cleaners deal with lichen every day. They know exactly what type they’re dealing with, which treatments work best, and how to apply them properly. They also use high-quality, commercial-grade products that aren’t available at your local hardware store, so you’re getting a deeper, more effective clean. Your Roof Stays Lichen Free One of the biggest advantages of going pro is long-term protection. The best treatments don’t just kill off existing lichen; they also prevent it from coming back. That means a cleaner roof for longer and much less maintenance for you. Some companies even offer maintenance plans to keep lichen at bay, saving you the hassle of dealing with it yourself year after year. Protects Your Roof from Damage Lichen might look harmless, but it can be surprisingly destructive. It holds moisture against your roofing materials, which, over time, can lead to cracks, leaks, and even structural issues. If you go at it with a scrub brush or a water blaster, you risk damaging your tiles, shingles, or metal roofing. Professionals, on the other hand, use treatments designed to be tough on lichen but gentle on your roof. So, you won’t end up trading one problem for another. Saves You Time and Effort Let’s be honest: climbing onto your roof to deal with lichen isn’t exactly a fun weekend project. It’s time-consuming, physically demanding, and, if you’re not careful, downright dangerous. Hiring professionals to tackle your roof lichen treatment means you don’t have to lift a finger. They’ve got all the right safety gear, equipment, and know-how to get the job done quickly and effectively. Instead of spending hours battling lichen, you can leave it to the pros and get on with your day. If You Still Prefer DIY… Treating your roof lichen on your own is tougher than calling in the professionals, but if you already have some DIY know-how, then this might be your preference. Our recommendation? Make sure you find a roof lichen treatment that approaches or even matches the professional-grade sprays on the market. Not only will finding the right treatment ensure your lichen is properly dealt with, but it will also prevent that lichen from growing back fast enough to have you out there the following weekend. Something like our DeMoss moss, mould, and lichen remover is ideal here. It’s highly effective for homeowners jumping into lichen removal for themselves, and it’s cheaper than the formulas you’ll find elsewhere. At the end of the day, the number one thing to remember when dealing with roof lichen is to act fast. While this is a slow-growing organism, the damage it creates will last for your roof’s entire lifetime. Invest in a team of professionals to kill off the infestation and spray a protective layer that repels future lichen. If you’re going the DIY route, make sure to choose the right lichen killer and apply it carefully. And when in doubt, the team at Arthur’s Roof & Property is here to guide you. Get rid of roof lichen once and for all with a professional roof lichen treatment. Worried about the damage lichen could be causing to your property right now? Talk to the professionals at Arthur’s Roof & Property about treating your existing infestation and preventing lichen from growing on your roof in future. Get in touch to book your roof lichen treatment today.