Asked Questions about Gutters
Is there a cost for getting an estimate? A: No, we will give you a prompt, written quote at no cost to you. Under normal circumstances, we guarantee the price for up to 180 days.
No. Gutter product quality and installation practices differ greatly.
Yes. We install large 6” steel “fascia style” gutters as well as our 5” aluminum gutter. We provide the options to best fit your home’s needs.
Available from us are our “Super Bracket.” This bracket is the strongest in the industry and was designed for this very reason.
Vinyl is a fairly strong material. And vinyl gutters are cheaper than other options. But the fact remains that these gutters should be your last option, and only for temporary fixes. The reason for this is that there are gutters with stronger materials. And unless you live in an area with very little rainfall in a year, there’s a good chance that vinyl gutters will have a difficult time keeping up with the amount of water they might need to handle.
Seamless gutters are called this because they are an entire piece fabricated specifically for the dimensions of your roof. Installing these are a little bit more complicated than installing sectional gutters, but the benefits are worth it. The problem with sectional gutters is that their seams are potential problem spots. For one thing, if their flashing gets damaged, these sections can become leak sources. And then, they can become the home of bugs and small animals.
The downspouts are the pieces that channel water from the gutters at the roof line to the ground. They are essential to the gutter system because they carry water away from your home’s foundation. Some homeowners make the mistake of selecting larger gutters and smaller downspouts. When choosing the size and number of downspouts it’s important to think about how much rainwater your gutters need to accommodate. It doesn’t matter how big the gutters are, your downspouts are the key factors when it comes to water capacity. The shape of downspouts is generally rectangular. Popular sizes are two by three inches, three by four inches, or four by five inches. Sometimes downspouts need to change direction or be diverted around an obstruction. If that is the case, an elbow will be installed. There are also elbows with a longer exit length that are used at the bottom of a downspout to divert water farther away from the house and foundation.
Every house has corners and turns that will need to be incorporated when installing the gutter system. A corner of the gutter that turns is called a mitre. Mitres can have an inside radius or outside radius, depending where the turn is being made. The end of the gutter is closed by an end cap. It is essential that the end cap be securely fastened and sealed to prevent leakage.
The spike and ferrule system is used to attach the straight gutter pieces to the eaves of the roof. The ferrule helps to maintain the width of the gutter pieces and the spike is inserted into the roof through the ferrule to hold it in place. The hidden hanger and screw method is more common because it makes gutter cleaning a lot easier. With this system the gutters are held up by a hanger that is attached to the house with a screw. Straps are used to attach the vertical downspout pieces to the side of the house.
Cleaning a clogged gutter is a dirty job — and sometimes a dangerous job — but it is absolutely necessary to prevent blockage and backup and to keep water flowing freely. All kinds of debris find their way into gutters: leaves, pine needles, twigs and even nuts that squirrels drop. An excellent alternative to hand-cleaning gutters is to install a gutter protection system. These can be as simple as a mesh screen or as complex as a specially shaped covering that allows water to enter the gutter but keeps debris out. The benefits of a gutter protection system include the assurance that water running off the roof will find a free passage to the downspouts and the convenience of not having to climb a ladder several times each year to clean out the gutters by hand.