Preparing Your Gutters for the Fall Season

Fall is a beautiful time of the year, especially because of the trees: the leaves explode into vibrant yellows, reds, and oranges – their swan song before slowly falling to the ground – or, in the homeowner’s case, this means slowly falling straight onto the lawn and into the gutters. However beautiful, fall is an imperative time to clean your gutters, and there are a few steps that could save you from big problems throughout winter.  Downspout guards like the Wedge are a good idea during the fall; even if that’s the only time they’re in your gutters. They’ll prevent massive blockages from fall foliage in your downspouts, and make the cleaning process much easier. This ensures that when winter comes around, there aren’t the huge frozen blocks of muddy leaves clogged in the enclosed pipe. These melt much slower than snow, so they’ll be sure to cause heavy, stressful backups in your gutters that are nearly impossible to clear.

Depending on your roofline, you might consider using a leaf blower to clear your roof in the fall. The leaves and debris up there will inevitably be carried into your gutters, so if your roofline is gradual enough, using a leaf blower may save you some agitation. However, if your roofline is too steep, do not attempt this! Leaf blowers are heavy pieces of machinery, too awkward to safely navigate a steep roof with.

If you’ve been thinking about installing, or having one installed, fall is a great time to invest in a gutter guard system. Ideally, you’ll want it installed in the early fall (or even better, late summer) before the leaves start to fall. The end of fall may require some cleaning, as debris and foliage still tend to sneak in, but you should find the amount of leaves present in the gutter channel has been reduced, and that you don’t have to stay on the ladder for nearly as long.

Gutter Guards Work!

Gutter Guards, also known as Gutter Protection --

Wouldn’t it be great if all gutter guards actually worked as they were advertised to? Maintenance-free forever, no more clogged gutters, no more blocked downspouts, and all accomplished by simply installing a plastic cover over your gutter. Yes, that would be fantastic. But the harsh reality is that not all gutter guards work as intended – in fact, there are only one or two systems that are as close to “maintenance-free” as we’ll probably see for quite some time.

The majority of gutter guards are a plastic piece, the width of the gutter, installed to cover the channel. The plastic piece has a reverse curve to the underside, a large hole, or perhaps a slotted knockout, allowing water to flow in, but stopping leaves and the other debris from being carried into the channel. Good idea, but it doesn’t always stop the tree buds and seeds in the spring, and it certainly wouldn’t stop a colony of bees from making a nest in your gutter. This system still requires you to clean the gutters at least twice a year, and makes the whole process that much more difficult, since you must remove the guard before you clean. These systems may reduce the frequency of cleaning, but they are no where near the “maintenance-free” salesmen hype they are sold with.

The more effective systems, such as the micro mesh systems or an aluminum perforated system witch is our choice of the two. The guards install over the channel and is pitched to your roofline, allowing water to flow in while blocking out all other debris. No rust, no debris, and no hassle. These are as close to maintenance-free as you’re going to find right now. If you’re not comfortable on a ladder, or you’re just plain sick of cleaning your gutters, systems like these are certainly worth the price.

If you’re looking for a system that only blocks the leaves and other large debris, and you don’t mind still getting up on a ladder 2-4 times a year to scoop out the smaller gunk, then the gutter cover systems may work for you.

Advantage of SEAMLESS GUTTERS- Leak Free!

Do you need a New Gutters system? Perhaps you feel the need to upgrade or you’re renovating your home’s exterior – whatever the case may be, deciding which gutter system to use will be the first step. If you’re going to install them yourself, chances are you’ll be using sectional gutter pieces. But if you’re looking to have them professionally installed, you will then have the option of choosing either a sectional or seamless gutter system.

Seamless, or continuous, gutters are site-made gutter runs, custom cut to fit the dimensions of your house by a portable gutter extrusion machine. So, rather than having a series of sectional pieces joined by numerous connectors, you have a single, continuous run. The advantage is the lack of seams that could potentially leak as connectors have a tendency to loosen on sectional gutter seams over time, resulting in leaking water pooling around the foundation of your home. With continuous gutters, the number of seams is drastically reduced, and the few that remain (downspout outlets and gutter corners) are securely fastened in place and sealed with a high-quality water sealant to minimize the possibility of leaks. Routine cleaning is still required, but the time spent on your ladder will be greatly reduced by not having to reapply caulk to all the seams along the sectional gutter runs in addition to cleaning them.

You’ll notice that seamless gutters even help to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home’s exterior. All materials extruded for your system come with a baked-on enamel finish that will never need to be repainted. Seamless systems also replace inefficient and unsightly spike and ferrule hangers to instead use several hidden brackets. The brackets attach to the roof, under the shingles, to provide superior strength and offer a very clean look. They’re also designed to allow the expansion and contraction of the gutters when temperatures fluctuate throughout the seasons, preventing the gutter from pulling away from the house and sagging.

Professional installation is only a small price to pay for the benefits provided by seamless gutters systems – the possibility for dangerous leaks is eliminated, the installation is normally completed in one day, and they’ll keep looking great, year after year.

Most Common Gutter Materials

Hundreds of years ago, hardwood gutters were considered the standard. There weren’t many more options than that until technological advances made plastic and metal mass production possible. Although still in use today, wooden gutters are used primarily for restoration of historic homes. Without a doubt, aluminum and vinyl are the most popular materials for gutters today – they’re affordable, lightweight, rust proof, and require little to no upkeep, other than the seasonal clearing. Although not as common, gutters can also be made of steel, copper, or wood; however, aside from galvanized steel, these materials tend to be more expensive than aluminum or vinyl, and sometimes won’t provide the same benefits.

Once a standard, wood is now easily the least popular of all gutter materials used. Wooden gutters require a considerable amount of time spent solely on yearly maintenance alone to prevent replacing and are also very expensive. Expect to pay between $12 to $20/foot depending on the type of wood used. To prevent rot and enhance the wood’s water resistance, it’s strongly recommended linseed oil be applied at least once a year.

On the other hand, copper is an excellent choice of gutter material, for more reasons than just adding aesthetic appeal to your home’s exterior. Copper gutters are durable, never need a finish, and they won’t ever rust. They’re also a wise addition to homes along the coasts exposed to salty conditions, or in areas with acid rain. Copper gutters also develop a desirable patina over time that turns the copper into a pleasant green color. They require no more maintenance than routine cleaning, unless you intend to strip the patina every few years with products designed to do so. It’s recommended that a professional install copper gutters, as mistakes made with copper can get expensive quickly, but once installed, copper gutters actually raise the value of your home. Seamless copper gutters usually run around $19/foot.

Galvanized and stainless steel provide gutters with great durability that work well for homeowners in colder climates. Steel contracts half as much as aluminum, helping to prevent the gutter from pulling away from the house and sagging. Hot-dipped galvanized steel is coated in zinc to prevent corrosion, and does so especially well against ice and snow. Other galvanized coatings even carry guarantees for 50 years. Unfortunately, without any sort of coating, galvanized gutters will only last around 5-10 years before showing signs of rust. Seamless galvanized gutters will cost between $6 and $8/foot to have installed. If you’re looking for the durability of steel, with the corrosion resistance of aluminum, you might be thinking stainless steel. Indeed, it will never rust, but be prepared to shell out $20/foot to install.

You lose durability with aluminum, and vinyl tends to get incredibly brittle with age and in extreme cold, but both system materials are cheap and easy to find, and are also highly resistant to corrosion. Aluminum is the most common seamless gutter material, and can come in runs as long as 100+ feet for about $6-$9/foot. This option is the most recommended in the professional industry. Today 99% of every home in America has aluminum seamless gutters installed. Vinyl is the most popular among do-it-yourselfers installing sectional gutters; this option is not recommended. The flexibility and resilience of vinyl works well for warmer climates, and works well for wallets, too.

Advantage of SEAMLESS GUTTER Systems - Leak-Free!

Do you need a new gutter system? Perhaps you feel the need to upgrade or you’re renovating your home’s exterior – whatever the case may be, deciding which gutter system to use will be the first step. If you’re going to install them yourself, chances are you’ll be using sectional gutter pieces. But if you’re looking to have them professionally installed, you will then have the option of choosing either a sectional or seamless gutter system.

Seamless, or continuous, gutters are site-made gutter runs, custom cut to fit the dimensions of your house by a portable gutter extrusion machine. So, rather than having a series of sectional pieces joined by numerous connectors, you have a single, continuous run. The advantage is the lack of seams that could potentially leak as connectors have a tendency to loosen on sectional gutter seams over time, resulting in leaking water pooling around the foundation of your home. With continuous gutters, the number of seams is drastically reduced, and the few that remain (downspout outlets and gutter corners) are securely fastened in place and sealed with a high-quality water sealant to minimize the possibility of leaks. Routine cleaning is still required, but the time spent on your ladder will be greatly reduced by not having to reapply caulk to all the seams along the sectional gutter runs in addition to cleaning them.

You’ll notice that seamless gutters even help to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home’s exterior. All materials extruded for your system come with a baked-on enamel finish that will never need to be repainted. Seamless systems also replace inefficient and unsightly spike and ferrule hangers to instead use several hidden brackets. The brackets attach to the roof, under the shingles, to provide superior strength and offer a very clean look. They’re also designed to allow the expansion and contraction of the gutters when temperatures fluctuate throughout the seasons, preventing the gutter from pulling away from the house and sagging.

Professional installation is only a small price to pay for the benefits provided by seamless gutter systems – the possibility for dangerous leaks is eliminated, the installation is normally completed in one day, and they’ll keep looking great, year after year.

Repairing Your Sagging Gutters

It’s not terribly complicated to spot and repair sagging gutters, but if they’re left unnoticed, you run the risk of some serious damage – not only damage to the gutter itself, but possibly to your fascia, rafters, shingles, siding, and foundation! If you see a sagging gutter, it’s highly recommended that you do something about it immediately. At best, a sagging gutter can trap water in the channel and create nasty backups, turning your gutter run into the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and dangerous leaks.

To start, identify why the gutter is sagging in the first place. Systems hung with spikes and ferrules will inevitably pull away from the fascia as time passes. This happens because the spike is being pulled out of the original pilot hole by the expansion and contraction of the gutter throughout years of temperature fluctuations. Although dangerous, this is quite common and can be easily remedied by replacing the old spike with a new threaded spike. For added security, try inserting wood slivers (using a golf tee also works quite well), dipped in adhesive or epoxy, into the hole the old spike was nailed into. This will provide a tighter fit and add a few more years until the next time the spike has to be replaced. Take into consideration that this is the perfect time to upgrade your whole system to hidden hangers or brackets. Even upgrading your spikes to screws can have a huge impact on the frequency you see your gutters sagging. All of these mounting options can be found at your local home improvement store, but can also be ordered online.

Replacing damaged brackets isn’t that much more complicated, but it will require the help of a friend. Simply disconnect the sagging gutter from the damaged bracket and remove the gutter section. After that, remove the old bracket and fill the original holes with exterior caulk. When the caulk is dry, drill pilot holes for the new bracket’s screws, but remember to drill the new holes at the same height and roughly same position as the original holes – you don’t want to run the risk of altering the pitch of the gutter run. When your brackets are secure, have your friend help attach the gutter back onto the new brackets.

Sagging gutters more than a story high should be repaired by professionals. They’ll have the right tools and equipment to get the job done safely. If it’s coming up on cleaning time, you could also have them clean your gutters while they’re up repairing them. This could save you time and some money, when compared to having them done at separate times.