Time for new gutters? here’s what to look for
Gutters are an essential — yet often overlooked — part of a home’s infrastructure. When properly installed and maintained, they capture water and carry it away from your home, protecting the foundation, fascia, window wells and siding.
But they don’t last forever. Depending on their age, your gutters may need to be repaired or replaced. Aluminum gutters have a life span of about 20 years, while steel gutters last about 30 years, says Tyler Coomes, owner of Conifer Gutter Service in Colorado. The simplest way to check them? “When it rains, grab an umbrella and walk around your house to see how the gutter system is working,” Coomes says. Look for tiny holes or leaks at seams, and check whether water cascades over the edges like a waterfall during a downpour instead of draining.
To inspect them when it’s not raining, look for small pit marks or bubbles in the paint, and check porches and the driveway below the gutters for a line of stains, which could indicate a leak. Any of these signs could mean the gutters are deteriorating. Also look at how the gutters are hanging. Are they sagging or pulling away from the roof line?
“If water isn’t efficiently flowing and the blockage isn’t caused by debris buildup, it’s likely time to replace your gutters,” says Mallory Micetich, a home expert at Angi, formerly known as Angie’s List.
If that’s the case, here are some tips for choosing the right system.
Materials
Gutters come in both aluminum and galvanized
steel. There isn’t much of a difference in price, so consider which material best suits your climate. Aluminum is a flexible, lightweight metal that doesn’t rust, but it can be damaged by hail, ice, and freezing and thawing. Steel is sturdier and more durable (the product is coated with zinc oxide or Galvalume to inhibit rust), but it degrades faster in humid climates and ones with salty air.
Size
Many homes built before the early 1990s have threeor four-inch-wide gutters, but current building codes in much of the United States require gutters to be at least five inches wide. Most gutter companies opt for six-inch models. It might not seem like a big difference, says Patrick Martin, president of Martin’s Seamless Gutters in Pensacola, Fla., but the larger option can handle significantly
more water. Gutters are also measured by thickness, or gauge. For most jobs, the industry standard of 0.027 gauge is used, he says. A large roof surface or a home in an area that receives heavy snow may need 0.032 gauge. Martin says the heavier gauge typically adds $1 to $1.50 per linear foot to the cost.
Cost
According to Coomes, a five-inch aluminum or steel gutter runs about $10 per linear foot; a six-inch one is around $12 per foot, including installation. Of course, what you pay will vary based on location, availability of materials and cost of labor. Expect to pay extra for the removal and disposal of old gutters, or if you have an extremely steep roof or a three- or fourstory home, which will require additional equipment so the installers can work safely, Coomes says.
Downspouts
The goal of a gutter system is to capture and direct water where you want it to go, so your biggest decision is where you want the runoff to be directed. That will affect the positioning of your downspouts. Talk with your installer about any problems, such as water pooling, that you have had in the past. Then determine where the runoff can do the most good. Instead of having a small stream flowing across a sidewalk, for example, see whether you can direct the water to a lawn, a garden or shrubbery. Map out a plan before installation begins to avoid extra charges for last-minute changes.
Installation
Ask friends and family for installer recommendations, read reviews and check references. There are companies that specialize
in gutter installation, and most roofing companies will do it, too. If you plan to use a roofer, ask whether they send an in-house crew or subcontract the work. If it’s the latter, find out whether they hire a specialist. “The bottom line is who is coming to your home,” Martin says.
Maintenance
Gutters can only do their job if they aren’t clogged with debris. Micetich suggests cleaning gutters quarterly. You can find plenty of people to do the job: landscapers, window washers, the company that installed your gutters or businesses devoted to gutter cleaning. Those wanting to DIY it can try cleaning from the ground using a garden hose or a wet/dry vacuum with attachments. Or you can stand on a sturdy extension ladder, with someone on the ground bracing it, and use a power washer, leaf blower or your hands to remove debris.
Warranty
Get this in writing. Experts say warranty coverage should be a minimum of five years for workmanship. Most systems come with at least 10 years of product coverage. Coomes says Galvalume steel gutters have a limited lifetime warranty for holes, chalking paint or fading.
Gutter guards
“In my experience, gutter guards are essential to help ensure water — and not debris — gets into your gutters,” Micetich says. But it depends on where you live and the surrounding tree canopy. According to Coomes, hood and helmet leaf-guard systems work well for homes with trees that shed leaves or needles, because they’re the top culprit for clogging gutters. In areas affected by snow and ice, gutter screens are usually the better choice, because they are less likely to allow the debris inside to freeze. But in areas with high rain volume, a guard may keep out both debris and water, which will then roll over the top of the gutter. “There’s a fine line between restrictive and too restrictive,” Martin says.
And if you have no trees around your house with leaves to fall into gutters, you don’t need guards. Coomes points out that guards minimize — but don’t eliminate — the need for maintenance, because no system keeps out 100 percent of debris. Even with the best guards, gutters may need to be cleaned once or twice a year and may require the removal of the guards. Gutter guards typically range from as little as $0.40 per foot to $10 per foot, depending on the type and material used.