Seamless gutters serve an important part in protecting your home. Although many people do not see them as a protection device, that is precisely what they are. Gutters protect your home from water damage and wood rot by diverting rain water into troughs and downspouts which carry the water away from your house.
Without gutters, heavy rain can run off of roofs and seep into the foundation and cause erosion and permanent damage to the structure of your home. Gutters prevent this from happening.
There are many types of gutter systems today. Most come in a variety of styles and colors so that homeowners can choose what works best and looks best for their home. Today gutters are made of several different types of material. The three most common are aluminum, PVC, and copper. PVC is by far the most inexpensive and come in variety of colors. These are also the easiest to work with because they can easily fit on any home. Aluminum is perhaps the most common. They cost more, but they last longer and they can also be painted. That means if you ever wanted to change the color of your home, you can paint your gutters to match. Copper gutters conduct heat well which helps with ice build up in very winter months. These gutters are very impressive, but have an impressive price tag to go along with them.
No matter what type of gutters one may choose, their purpose is the same. But, as with every other features of your home, gutters have to be maintained. In order for a gutter system to function properly, they must be kept free of build up of dirt and debris. Over time, gutters can become blocked by leaves, pine straw, and other debris which over time can compromise their ability to divert damaging water form your home.
However, there are also different types of gutter systems that keep maintenance at a minimum. Gutter Guards keep leaves, and other debris form entering the gutter. When it rains, the rain is filtered threw the gutter guard then down into the gutter and is carried away from your home. With this type gutter system, you do not have to worry about build up and blockage.
Gutters are important. They serve a vital purpose in the protection of your home. If you are looking to replace or install recommended seamless gutters on your home, find a reputable company that will help you decide what type and style will work best for you. My short bio
Everything Gutter "Your Local Seamless Gutter Professional"
Friday, July 15, 2011
Do you Need Gutters
Seamless gutters serve an important part in protecting your home. Although many people do not see them as a protection device, that is precisely what they are. Gutters protect your home from water damage and wood rot by diverting rain water into troughs and downspouts which carry the water away from your house.
Without gutters, heavy rain can run off of roofs and seep into the foundation and cause erosion and permanent damage to the structure of your home. Gutters prevent this from happening.
There are many types of gutter systems today. Most come in a variety of styles and colors so that homeowners can choose what works best and looks best for their home. Today gutters are made of several different types of material. The three most common are aluminum, PVC, and copper. PVC is by far the most inexpensive and come in variety of colors. These are also the easiest to work with because they can easily fit on any home. Aluminum is perhaps the most common. They cost more, but they last longer and they can also be painted. That means if you ever wanted to change the color of your home, you can paint your gutters to match. Copper gutters conduct heat well which helps with ice build up in very winter months. These gutters are very impressive, but have an impressive price tag to go along with them.
No matter what type of gutters one may choose, their purpose is the same. But, as with every other features of your home, gutters have to be maintained. In order for a gutter system to function properly, they must be kept free of build up of dirt and debris. Over time, gutters can become blocked by leaves, pine straw, and other debris which over time can compromise their ability to divert damaging water form your home.
However, there are also different types of gutter systems that keep maintenance at a minimum. Gutter Guards keep leaves, and other debris form entering the gutter. When it rains, the rain is filtered threw the gutter guard then down into the gutter and is carried away from your home. With this type gutter system, you do not have to worry about build up and blockage.
Gutters are important. They serve a vital purpose in the protection of your home. If you are looking to replace or install recommended seamless gutters on your home, find a reputable company that will help you decide what type and style will work best for you.
Without gutters, heavy rain can run off of roofs and seep into the foundation and cause erosion and permanent damage to the structure of your home. Gutters prevent this from happening.
There are many types of gutter systems today. Most come in a variety of styles and colors so that homeowners can choose what works best and looks best for their home. Today gutters are made of several different types of material. The three most common are aluminum, PVC, and copper. PVC is by far the most inexpensive and come in variety of colors. These are also the easiest to work with because they can easily fit on any home. Aluminum is perhaps the most common. They cost more, but they last longer and they can also be painted. That means if you ever wanted to change the color of your home, you can paint your gutters to match. Copper gutters conduct heat well which helps with ice build up in very winter months. These gutters are very impressive, but have an impressive price tag to go along with them.
No matter what type of gutters one may choose, their purpose is the same. But, as with every other features of your home, gutters have to be maintained. In order for a gutter system to function properly, they must be kept free of build up of dirt and debris. Over time, gutters can become blocked by leaves, pine straw, and other debris which over time can compromise their ability to divert damaging water form your home.
However, there are also different types of gutter systems that keep maintenance at a minimum. Gutter Guards keep leaves, and other debris form entering the gutter. When it rains, the rain is filtered threw the gutter guard then down into the gutter and is carried away from your home. With this type gutter system, you do not have to worry about build up and blockage.
Gutters are important. They serve a vital purpose in the protection of your home. If you are looking to replace or install recommended seamless gutters on your home, find a reputable company that will help you decide what type and style will work best for you.
How to Fix a Loose or Sagging Gutter
How to Fix a Loose or Sagging Gutter
If a gutter sags too much, it looks unsightly, and if the sag is in the wrong direction, water collects, giving mosquitoes a breeding ground and creating leaks. It's standard to pitch gutters 1/16 inch per foot (2 mm per 30 cm) toward the nearest downspout, but even a level gutter will drain. Assuming that the spikes, brackets or hangers are installed correctly, most commonly a gutter sags due to ice and snow damage or because a ladder has bent or dislodged its supports.
Instructions
If the gutter is supported by spikes (see A)
1. Straighten a bent spike by pushing up on the gutter at that location with a pry bar (you'll likely need a ladder to reach it); or remove a nailed gutter spike for replacement by locking the head of the spike firmly in a pair of locking pliers, then tapping the side of the jaws with a hammer to pull the spike out.
2. Replace a spike that has fallen out or been removed with a threaded gutter spike. For a tighter fit, press a few wood slivers coated with exterior adhesive or epoxy into the nail hole first, this is for the do it your self. Although It is highly recommended that gutter with these types of hanging systems be rehung with reinforced inside hidden hangers with screw.
If the gutter is supported by hangers or brackets
1. Remove the gutter by unclipping the brackets and disconnecting it from the downspout(s). This is definitely a job for two or more people.
2. Replace the damaged bracket. Fill the old screw holes with caulk or exterior putty and let dry. Install the new bracket at approximately the same height and position as the old one. Repeat as needed for other brackets and tighten any loose screws before reinstalling the gutter.
If the gutter is supported by hangers or straps (see C)
1. If the strap is bent down, press down on it about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the roof from the edge of the shingle it lies under, or from the surface to which it's nailed. Then pull up just below the point of the bend.
2. If the bracket has pulled out of the roof or needs replacing, and the roofing is asphalt shingles, disconnect the bracket from the gutter and carefully pry up the shingle to remove the nails (or screws), or drive new fasteners through the strap into the roof recommend screws.
If the gutter is supported by concealed brackets
1. Remove the mounting screw to replace a damaged bracket.
My short bio
If a gutter sags too much, it looks unsightly, and if the sag is in the wrong direction, water collects, giving mosquitoes a breeding ground and creating leaks. It's standard to pitch gutters 1/16 inch per foot (2 mm per 30 cm) toward the nearest downspout, but even a level gutter will drain. Assuming that the spikes, brackets or hangers are installed correctly, most commonly a gutter sags due to ice and snow damage or because a ladder has bent or dislodged its supports.
Instructions
If the gutter is supported by spikes (see A)
1. Straighten a bent spike by pushing up on the gutter at that location with a pry bar (you'll likely need a ladder to reach it); or remove a nailed gutter spike for replacement by locking the head of the spike firmly in a pair of locking pliers, then tapping the side of the jaws with a hammer to pull the spike out.
2. Replace a spike that has fallen out or been removed with a threaded gutter spike. For a tighter fit, press a few wood slivers coated with exterior adhesive or epoxy into the nail hole first, this is for the do it your self. Although It is highly recommended that gutter with these types of hanging systems be rehung with reinforced inside hidden hangers with screw.
If the gutter is supported by hangers or brackets
1. Remove the gutter by unclipping the brackets and disconnecting it from the downspout(s). This is definitely a job for two or more people.
2. Replace the damaged bracket. Fill the old screw holes with caulk or exterior putty and let dry. Install the new bracket at approximately the same height and position as the old one. Repeat as needed for other brackets and tighten any loose screws before reinstalling the gutter.
If the gutter is supported by hangers or straps (see C)
1. If the strap is bent down, press down on it about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the roof from the edge of the shingle it lies under, or from the surface to which it's nailed. Then pull up just below the point of the bend.
2. If the bracket has pulled out of the roof or needs replacing, and the roofing is asphalt shingles, disconnect the bracket from the gutter and carefully pry up the shingle to remove the nails (or screws), or drive new fasteners through the strap into the roof recommend screws.
If the gutter is supported by concealed brackets
1. Remove the mounting screw to replace a damaged bracket.
My short bio
Fixing Damaged Gutters
Rain gutters aren't very exciting. You probably never even notice yours until something goes wrong with them. And then it's the wrong kind of excitement.
Gutters and downspouts collect and carry away rainwater that would otherwise run off the roof, splash down and erode the soil and stain the siding. More important, gutters and downspouts form the first line of defense against a wet basement or crawl space: If you let water collect along the foundation, hydrostatic pressure will build, and water will eventually find its way inside the house. It's equally important to keep the ground around a hillside home dry.
For these reasons it's important that your gutters are in proper working order. Here, we'll show you how to patch a hole, seal a leaky corner joint and secure a gutter that's pulled away from the house. Fix these problems as soon as they occur and your gutters will work more effectively and last many years longer.
Patching a hole
Gutters develop holes in a number of ways. Rust eats through steel gutters, and copper and aluminum versions are easily punctured by falling branches or sharp tools. Occasionally, you'll find a hole that someone drilled through a gutter in an attempt to drain standing water. (If a gutter isn't draining properly, it's either not sloping toward the downspout or it's sagging and needs to be raised.)
You have to patch any hole right away so it doesn't grow larger. Buy a tube of gutter seal ($1.40) found at any local hardware store or contact us for a free quote. It's important that the seal is used. If you don't you could encourage electrolytic corrosion—a process that slowly etches away one metal in favor of the other.
First, clean all debris from the gutter with a wide putty knife or plastic gutter scoop ($4). Wearing leather work gloves, scrub the area clean with a stiff-bristle wire brush. If there's any rust around the hole, cut it out with aviation snips. Then run the seal down any open seams.
Fixing leaky joints
Over time, the joints between lengths of gutter can fail. And even seamless gutters aren't immune to drips. They have seams where the gutters connect to preformed corners and to downspout outlets. Whether it's a corner or straight joint, the repair is pretty much the same.
Curing sagging gutters
Most gutters are held in place with large spikes that pass through tubular sleeves, called ferrules. When a spike pulls free, a gutter can sag and, in some cases, come crashing down.
To repair a sagging gutter, you have to replace the spike with something that won't withdraw easily, witch is the hang fast reinforced hidden hangers that gets screwed in contact us to have this performed.
Gutters and downspouts collect and carry away rainwater that would otherwise run off the roof, splash down and erode the soil and stain the siding. More important, gutters and downspouts form the first line of defense against a wet basement or crawl space: If you let water collect along the foundation, hydrostatic pressure will build, and water will eventually find its way inside the house. It's equally important to keep the ground around a hillside home dry.
For these reasons it's important that your gutters are in proper working order. Here, we'll show you how to patch a hole, seal a leaky corner joint and secure a gutter that's pulled away from the house. Fix these problems as soon as they occur and your gutters will work more effectively and last many years longer.
Patching a hole
Gutters develop holes in a number of ways. Rust eats through steel gutters, and copper and aluminum versions are easily punctured by falling branches or sharp tools. Occasionally, you'll find a hole that someone drilled through a gutter in an attempt to drain standing water. (If a gutter isn't draining properly, it's either not sloping toward the downspout or it's sagging and needs to be raised.)
You have to patch any hole right away so it doesn't grow larger. Buy a tube of gutter seal ($1.40) found at any local hardware store or contact us for a free quote. It's important that the seal is used. If you don't you could encourage electrolytic corrosion—a process that slowly etches away one metal in favor of the other.
First, clean all debris from the gutter with a wide putty knife or plastic gutter scoop ($4). Wearing leather work gloves, scrub the area clean with a stiff-bristle wire brush. If there's any rust around the hole, cut it out with aviation snips. Then run the seal down any open seams.
Fixing leaky joints
Over time, the joints between lengths of gutter can fail. And even seamless gutters aren't immune to drips. They have seams where the gutters connect to preformed corners and to downspout outlets. Whether it's a corner or straight joint, the repair is pretty much the same.
Curing sagging gutters
Most gutters are held in place with large spikes that pass through tubular sleeves, called ferrules. When a spike pulls free, a gutter can sag and, in some cases, come crashing down.
To repair a sagging gutter, you have to replace the spike with something that won't withdraw easily, witch is the hang fast reinforced hidden hangers that gets screwed in contact us to have this performed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)