Clear and repair the gutters and downspouts.

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it.

Bring

• camera
• gutter scoop or hose wand, bucket and tarp
• ladder or elevated platform appropriate to the height, plus the fall protection the building's rules require and a spotter
• caulk gun with exterior-rated sealant and patching compound
• rake, tarp and waste bags
• tape measure and a 4-ft level for grading
• gloves and safety glasses

Steps

1. 1. Confirm the scope and the access rules with the facility manager BEFORE starting: where ladders may be set, whether the work is above an entrance or a walkway that must be closed off, whether a permit or a contractor induction is required, and who to call if something is found. An institutional building has rules about working at height that a house does not, and they are not waivable on site.
2. 2. Photograph the gutter run, downspouts, perimeter debris and any envelope gap or grading problem as found, from the vantage points that will be used again afterwards.
3. 3. Confirm the building's condition constraints: post-1978, or pre-1978 with intact, unpainted-substrate work only. Any disturbed pre-1978 paint STOPS this scope and routes to an EPA-certified firm, and in a building children use that determination is made before a tool is picked up.
4. 4. Cone off or otherwise protect the work zone below, then clear debris from the gutters and confirm the downspouts drain freely and discharge clear of the foundation and away from any walkway or entrance where discharge would create a slip hazard. Re-secure loose hangers within reach.
5. 5. Clear accumulated debris from the building perimeter, entrances and walkways so drainage paths and pest-entry points stay clear, and bag or stage waste for the building's own collection arrangement rather than leaving it at the kerb.
6. 6. Patch and seal small envelope gaps at trim, soffit and utility penetrations with exterior-rated sealant, and regrade a short run of soil away from the foundation where it currently slopes toward it.
7. 7. Verify: gutters run clear water end to end, downspouts discharge away from the foundation and away from walking surfaces, patched gaps are weathertight, and the perimeter is clear. Photograph the finished work from the same vantages as the before photos, and reopen any area that was closed off.
8. 8. Enter before and after photos, materials used, and every hazard found (active leak, structural rot, suspected lead paint, an unsafe roof edge) into the proof record and report them to the facility manager; sign.

What counts as done

• Before photo of each clogged gutter run
• After photo from matching vantage showing cleared troughs
• Downspout flow-test video (clear exit)

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.

The standard this serves

Weatherization Readiness. Weatherization readiness is the survey that turns a cold, expensive-to-heat home into a fundable plan. Following the Department of Energy's program, the surveyor maps where the house leaks air, which attics and walls lack insulation, what fresh-air path must follow the tightening, and which safety checks must clear first. Mastery looks like a walkthrough that ends with a package a weatherization crew can price without a second visit. This packet is one piece of one such survey, done carefully and written down, so a real family's real house gets closer to warm.