Gutters

Gutters

Rain gutters are very important to your home. They collect the water running off the roof, and deposit it via down spouts to desired locations. Without gutters water will fall in sheets all along the edges of your roof. With all this water coming down un checked it can cause erosion, and foundation damage.  Basement flooding can become a real concern if gutters are missing or not working properly. A clean properly sized, and pitched gutter system can save a huge headache if your basement fills with water.

Gutter Styles

Most homes have what is called "k" style gutters. These gutters come in 5 or 6 inch sizes, and are hung with concealed hangers or straps if the homes fascia board is angled. Downspouts come in 2"X3" or 3"X4". While it might seem logical to purchase 6 inch butters and 3x4 down spouts there are a few things to keep in mind.

1) Larger gutters can change the look of your home. Larger down spouts definitely stand out more.

2) A 5 inch gutter is going to be about 3-1/2 inches deep. If the gutter is installed properly on most homes this is more than sufficient to remove the water from the roof. They won't fill up. 

Half round gutters are another not so typical style. They are just as their name says "half round'. These gutters provide slightly less performance than K style, but are installed if a homeowner is going for a certain look.

Gutter Guards

When it comes to gutter guards nothing works better than a clean open top gutter.  No guard. We install guards if you like, but we were very selective in choosing the guard we will sell and install. All guards on the market have one thing in common. They limit the amount of water the gutter is capable of handling.   Every guard sold today essentially blocks the flow of water to some degree. Some of the designs we really don't like are the most expensive.  The Shutters and Helmets out there are not only extremely expensive, but they can cause damage. A lot of these products are installed over the front edge of the gutter, and under the first course of roof shingles. Not only does this prevent your roof shingles to seal as the manufacturer intended but, when snow and ice build up it builds on top of gutter guards. An ice dam builds.  If your gutter guards are installed under the edge of your roof shingles, guess what. You just built an aluminum super highway for ice and water to breach your roof! Its best to stay away from any guard than goes under your shingles.