Loading ...Have you ever cleaned out your eavestroughs? I haven’t, but it’s on my mind with each and every spring
shower we get. I live in a mature neighbourhood where elm-lined boulevards offer plenty of shade, comfort and neighbourhood allure. Chances are, my gutters are caked with elm leaves and debris from, gulp, the past five years.
From a green point of view, proper home maintenance and care is key. When we protect our homes from wear and damage, we make them last longer and delay repair and replacement, both of which require money, energy and new materials to be used. Home maintenance is all about durability, prevention, and quite often, safety. And, it’s always cheaper to maintain something than it is to fix or replace it.
Keeping the Clutter out of Your Gutters
In the vein of prevention, there are ways to keep your eaves troughs from piling up with muck. It’s about working smarter, not harder. Gutter screens or guards are typically made of plastic or metal screening, and install without much hassle. Look for them at your local hardware store, or find a company from the yellow pages. If you lack the time, tools, or the will to do the job yourself, there’s many a local company that will welcome your business.
Greener Gutters in Toronto & Calgary
Our fortunate neighbours in these two cities can now fit their gutters with U.S.-made RainTube, which 
is simply a corrugated perforated plastic tube that accepts the rain and turfs the rest. Although it does not carry an independent green certification, it is Greenspec listed, made from 100% recycled material, tested to last 100 years and recyclable, say RainTube manufacturers.
Until the product is offered elsewhere in Canada, the rest of us will be left scooping out the sludge or installing typical screens. Business opportunity, anyone?
(Image Source: RainTube)
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