Gutter Replacement Rules

Often homeowners spend weeks agonizing over which color and style shingle is best for their new roof. Then, after going to all this effort, they let the roofing company to install any old piece-of-junk gutters.

Since rain gutters and downspouts can be even more conspicuous than the roof itself, you should choose new ones with at least as much care as you chose the shingles. But before you do, make sure you actually need replacement gutters. Too often, you don't.

In the course of bidding on a roofing job, many a roofing contractor will say, “As long as we're at it, this would be the time to replace your gutters.”

Installing new gutters in conjunction with roof replacement is simply a way for roofer to make a little extra money, and freeing their workers from having to protect the existing gutters from damage during the job.

Worse, the quality of most replacement gutters and downspouts supplied by roofers is typically worse than that of original gutters in sound condition. So, homeowners who agree to lump in gutter replacement with their new roof often wind up with a flimsier, less attractive and quite unnecessary “improvement.”

The rules of thumb regarding gutter replacement are simple:

1. If your original gutters are straight, solid and don't leak, they don't need replacement.

2. If they do leak, there's a fair chance they can be repaired. In the case of steel or copper gutters, contact your local sheet metal shop.

3. If you do decide on replacement gutters, demand gutters that are at least equal to the originals in quality. Have gutter replacement specialists, not the roofer, recommend the best gutters for your home.  Consider copper gutters as well.

4. Put at least as much thought into choosing the gutters as you do into choosing the roofing material. Don't let the contractor make this choice for you. Many will simply fall back on the style of gutter that's the least trouble to install.

To find out if your gutters need to be replaced, or for help choosing and installing new gutters, contact Custom Insulation Company.

MySA