Cleaning your gutters might not seem like a pleasant task but it is important. Clogged gutters fail to do their job, that is to protect your home. If you have clogged gutters, you can contract other problems like water damage and leaky roofs. Clogged gutters are also the home of mold, rodents, and pests which can turn into a health concern if left untreated. With this in mind, here are 11 reasons why you should go for the cleaning of gutters.

Prevent Water Damage to Your Home
It is recommended to clean your gutters thoroughly twice a year to avoid water damage. Water damage due to clogged gutters can take place both outside and inside your home.
Extra water can easily travel into your home via cracks and crevices into the siding and cause a considerable amount of water damage. This water damage is sometimes visible as stains on your ceiling and walls. Clogged downspouts and gutters can push water through the structure of your home. This can easily lead to even more foundational problems such as ice dams.

Reduce the Risk of Cracked Foundation
The gutter system of your home plays a big role in protecting it from damage. It acts as a guard against pooled water during rains. Gutters also help in moving any collected water and melt the snow away from your home. This enables your gutters to protect the foundation of your house against leakages and cracks due to a collection of stagnant water. Pooling water and erosion can weaken the base of your house and lead to settles, shifting, and cracks. A cracked foundation can easily make your floors and walls uneven and need the help of a professional. This means that by cleaning out your gutters you are saving a considerable amount of money each year by not dealing with these problems.

Ward Off Pests
Clogged gutters are the paradise for rodents and pests which can carry diseases into your home. They can cause serious health problems to your family. You will have to deal with other damages caused by pest infestations such as bad odor. If you ignore cleaning your gutters, you are letting the problem get bigger and it will need major costs in terms of repairing.

Protect Your Roof
If your gutters are clogged, it essentially means that your house has no proper way to drain the water. This might cause the water from snow and rain to get into your roof and cause water leaks. These water leaks can not only cause damage to the interior of your home but can also rot your roof. Repairing the entire roofing system means hiring the services of a professional.

Avoid Fascia Damage
Clogged gutters will start to hold water. Between the weight of the debris that clogs your gutters and the mounting water, your gutters can get very heavy. This might make your gutter break away from the fascia and cause damage to your roofing system.

Protect Garden Beds from Damage
Many people spend a lot of time, energy, and money on maintaining garden beds around their homes. If your gutters are clogged and are overflowing with water, this water can seep into your garden and ruin all your hard work. When water flows sideways instead of down a downspout, it can even kill your plants.

Improve Curb Appeal
Cleaning your gutters can be a major selling point for your home. Well kept and clean gutters give your home a neat look without any distractions. Your gutters can easily blend in with the rest of your house as you would want them to. Clean and maintained gutters add a good look to your home while reducing any other damages such as water stains on the sides, uprooted landscaping, and saggy gutters. If you plan on selling your home or if you just want to maintain a good look, clean gutters can go a long way.

Prevent Basement Flooding
Clogged gutters can cause water to collect right in the foundation of your home. This can easily cause water to seep down and accumulate in your basement. If the landscaping of your home slopes inwards, basement flooding can happen almost immediately. You should ensure that your downspouts and gutters are clean. You should even consider replacing them as needed.

Extend Gutter Lifespan
Clogged gutters can collect debris and pool water, which can cause them to get damaged due to the increasing weight. It can also lead to corrosion and rusting and shorten the overall lifespan of your gutters. When maintained properly, gutters can last up to 50 years based on the material used. Downspouts can even last longer with an average lifespan of 50 years.

Prevent Ice Dams
Ice dams are formed with the accumulation of snow on your roof. When this snow has no place to go, it can let water collect under shingles, and move the moisture to the soffits, fascia, and roof of your home. Icicles can even form with the added weight that your gutters are unable to handle. This leads to detached gutters that can damage the fascia.

Prevent Unexpected (and Expensive) Repairs
Clogged gutters invite multiple problems all of which need the services of a professional. You can save yourself from these expensive and unexpected repairs by simply cleaning your gutters.

Are you looking to start a handyman business?

Whether you have expertise in plumbing, electrician, or landscaping, make sure to ponder over your expertise, license, pricing, and marketing to improve the chances of your success in this profession.

Here’s how…

Choose What You Can Offer:

First of all, assess your skills to determine which handyman services you can offer. Simply put, you have to choose the services you hold expertise in.

You might be thinking that if you can do everything. Well, the straightforward answer is NO. In fact, you can earn more profits by offering a limited range of services. Sometimes, it can lead to more profit when you work according to your specialization.

• For instance, you can’t do plumbing, electrical, or HVAC work without having a license in your state. This limits your services, yet you still get more business than you could possibly handle.
• You can also ponder over other handyman-like service businesses out there such as lawn care, garage door repair, locksmiths, home security installers, and mason. These are specific services and can be profitable.
• As a handyman, you can have a much wider range of offerings that will go across several businesses, but it is better if you get started by offering you are specialized in and grow from there.

The point is here to create a list of all of the possible services you can offer.

Get to Know the Handyman Laws in Your State:

Many handymen do this mistake. They start their business without opting for the required license first. It is important to get familiar with the contracting laws in your state. Keep in mind that these laws generally vary from state to state. You need to find out the services requiring you to have a license. Also, find out what license you require to provide the services you want to offer.

In some states, it is important to have a license even for any sort of electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work. Some might not allow you to do jobs over $1,000 without having a contractor’s license.

The point is here to know the handyman laws of your state by visiting your state’s contractors’ board website.

Study the Market for Your Services:

Before you start your handyman business, ponder over this: one of the common blunders that handymen make is that they don’t know if there is a market for their services.

Imagine you live in an area where there’s a handyman at every nook and corner, leading to stiff competition. If, on the other hand, there is not a handyman for miles, you can have a great opportunity to set up a profitable business.

The key takeaway is here to understand the availability of handyman services in your area.

Know Your Right Customers:

Keep in mind that not everyone is your ideal customer.

For example, if you don’t understand this concept, you might be forced to lower your prices to win contracts or do the job out of your expertise, and basically serving everyone. This way, you could end up getting negative reviews.

Therefore, you need to focus on a particular type of customer. Your services might not be suitable for everyone looking for a handyman.

Some clients look for the lowest prices while others can happily pay higher rates as long as you deliver good service. Some clients are located 50 miles away, while others are located near you. Some look for high-quality services while others just want the job gets done

While you can make a profit with all of these clients, it is important to decide on the kind of service you want to offer. Focusing on an ideal customer will have a positive impact on your job satisfaction and your profit as a handyman.

Choosing the target customer is important for any business. And the occupation of a handyman is no exception.

If you focus on the right customers you actually enjoy working for and who are willing to pay the right rates for your services, you will get more profit and love your job. Plus, you can get more referrals and repeat business.

But if you try to work for everyone, you might face a lot of struggle and lose your peace of mind.

By doing homework on your ideal customers who can get benefit most from your service and who you actually want to work for, you can improve the chances of getting success as a handyman.

Consider The Budget to Start a Business:

Well, we are not talking about any huge business loans here.

Luckily, you can start your business as a handyman at cheap costs, especially if you have your own tools. Besides, you can add more items as you start getting contracts.

Expect to invest about $2,000-$4,000 to start your handyman business.

How Much to Charge?

This point is all about setting your price.

It might be surprising, but it is quite common for a handyman to make a handsome income while offering basic handyman services. Some handyman can earn up to $200 per hour.

The handyman profession can be lucrative if you do it properly. Having a good hold on the financial side is important—especially when it comes to setting your handyman prices.

Determining how much to charge can be challenging for a new handyman.

Here you need to understand a lot of things while setting up prices for your new handyman business. Consider things like your experience, efficiency, reputation, and professionalism.

Above all, you need to consider the level of your profit. However, it can be quite challenging if you are not sure about your skills and abilities to get started.

You don’t need to rely on guesswork or choose the rate approved by your near and dear ones. You don’t need to undercharge or leave money on the table either.

Here is a great formula to determine the rate of your service per hour.

You need to account for the following things:

• Monthly living expenses: (say it is 5,000 per month)
• Business expenses such as taxes, rent, phone bills, and licensing fees (say it is 1,200 per month)
• Monthly Billable hours (say it is 128 hours)
• Total taxes such as state income tax, federal income, and self-employed income tax ( say it is 30%)

Here is how you can find your hourly rate:

$5,000/[128 *(1-.3)] + $1,200/128 = $65.18/hour

So, you need to charge at least $65 per hour.

Create a Marketing Strategy:

Marketing is the heart and soul of any business. At this point, you must be aware of your key services, ideal customers, and pricing.

In this step, you need to market them; you need to reach them to your potential customers. Good thing is that handyman services are always in demand. Bad news: there are many handymen out there to compete with.

That’s why a solid marketing plan is important.

While you can consider newspaper ad or billboard marketing, opting for online marketing is practical and affordable. You can submit your business in local online business directories and create a Google profile for your business. In fact, building a website for your business is quite affordable.

Online marketing matters because most customers search for handyman services on their Internet-enabled phone or PC.

LAST NOTE:

So you must have understood how to start a handyman business off on the right foot and maximize your chances of success as well. What do you think? Let us know by commenting below! For more information and handyman services Contact us now.

When it comes to cleaning, you don’t need to follow a certain procedure, but you have to do it properly. There is no right way to clean anything. But there are lots of mistakes that you can avoid to land in the right way for yourself. Cleaning is rarely someone’s idea of fun. But if you need to do it, doing it properly can save you lots of time and effort. Once you learn to avoid some common mistakes, your cleaning chores will get more efficient and take considerably lesser time. Here are the 10 most common cleaning mistakes that you need to avoid:

Not Rinsing Off Your Cleaning Equipment

In order to avoid your cleaning tools from dirtying your entire home if not infecting it, you need to rinse them regularly. Debris, bacteria, dirt, and a foul odor can formulate in your equipment. They can even get accumulated to an impenetrable level. You need to clean your brushes, mops, and brooms properly after every use. This cleaning regime needs to remove bacteria and dust from each part of the tool that might come in contact with the surfaces that need to be cleaned. Establishing a routine will help you store them better as well.

Using Filthy Cleaning Wipes

Do you tend to use the same wipes or scrubber every time you clean? You need to wash your cleaning equipment before use. If you don’t clean your cleaning tools, you can end up shoving dirt, dust, and bacteria around the surface instead of cleaning it. When left unwashed for a while, cleaning wipes can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Not only will it not make your house clean, but it can even infect the surfaces that you use it on. Clean and replace your scrubber and wipes regularly. You do not want your equipment to make your house even dirtier.

Missing the Corners and Nooks

If you are in a hurry and just want to get over with your chores, you might miss all the corners, nooks, and hidden spaces around the house. These areas are often missed during cleaning and keep accumulating dust. By the time you notice them, they accumulate so much dust that it takes forever to get rid of. These areas may also be away from all light and air circulation. This means that they are more prone to host bacterias and infections that can make you and your family sick.

Not Pre-Soaking Dirty Dishes

Pre-soaking your dirty dishes can make washing utensils a much easier task. Just add drops of liquid soap and some water to a dirty dish beforehand even if you are not doing the dishes immediately. Soap water starts its cleaning action on your utensil and it begins to erode all the food material. When you finally get around to it, cleaning the dishes becomes much easier. Not only does this save time, but it prevents your dirty dishes from decaying and will keep bugs like cockroaches and flies away from your kitchen.

Forgetting to Empty the Vacuum Cleaner

Do you remember the last time you emptied the vacuum bags and replaced its canister? If you don’t clean your vacuum cleaner, its sucking capacity will not be powerful enough, and you will end up taking much longer than anticipated. Since your vacuum cleaner will not be very effective, you will have to redo the entire house multiple times until it’s spotless. Clean the outer surfaces of your vacuum cleaner to avoid dust accumulation. Make sure that you regularly replace your cleaning equipment and empty the vacuum bags.

Failing to Clean from Top to Bottom

When you are vacuuming, mopping, or sweeping your floors first, it is bound to be less effective. When you clean your furniture later, all the crumbs and dust particles will fall off the shelves, counters, tables and make your floor dirty, again. Always try to clean the room from the top to the bottom. Start with the windows, then furniture such as counters, couches, chairs, and tables, and end with the floor. This way you can keep your floors clean for a longer time.

Failing to Grasp and Execute the Directions

There are numerous techniques to help you clean your house more effectively. For instance, you might have heard of cleaning your windows straight down instead of wiping them in circles. If you fail to grasp these exactly, you won’t be able to execute them. This would result in you following a cleaning technique that is less effective, and more time-consuming. Reading articles, watching videos, and asking someone for help can help you adopt more efficient techniques that can make your cleaning job much easier. Keep innovating your methods constantly and upgrade to better equipment regularly. This will keep cleaning interesting as well.

Make Up Your Room Daily as soon as You Wake Up

You might consider making your bed and cleaning your room daily a drag. But in reality, making up your bed makes a big difference to your room’s tidiness. It only takes a few minutes and helps you start the day right. Plus your bed is always made if you want to take a nap. From a cleaning perspective, when we sleep, our skin sheds a lot of dead cells. These get accumulated on your sheets and the longer you put off making your room, the longer they stay on your bed.

Washing the Windows on a Sunny Day

Cleaning your windows is a tricky task. If you don’t do it exactly right, it will always get dirty., When you clean your windows on a sunny, hot day, the detergent you use dries up faster. This creates streaks on glass surfaces. You may not notice them while cleaning but the moment you are done, they will be clearly visible. Rubbing and wiping streaking doesn’t help. Instead, clean your windows when the sun is about to set straight strokes.

Not Cleaning Your Toilet Brush

Your toilet brush has the task of cleaning the most infected and dirty place in your entire house, your toilet. If you ignore cleaning your toilet brush, you will put it right back in its holder after usage. The germs and moisture from cleaning your toilet will get trapped between the brush and the container. Since it is a dark space, these germs begin to breed and multiply rapidly. The next time you pick up the brush, you are taking even more germs back to the toilet than you cleaned. Clean your toilet brush regularly and always store it dry to avoid your toilet from getting infectious.

Conclusion

A lot of people consider keeping the house clean a drag but if you focus on avoiding certain mistakes, you can be done with it in very little time. Keeping your home clean is more about your cleaning routine than the time you put up in it. Once you focus on actively avoiding some common mistakes, you will get into a more efficient house-keeping regime. It will help you and your family stay healthy and might even make a dull chore interesting. Focus on avoiding one or two mistakes every week and keep adding as you go. Happy Cleaning!  To avoid these cleaning mistake Contact Professional NYC Handyman