Gutters

[William_Cannon 86]

Anyone happy NOT having gutters on their house?

 

I need to replace the gutters on the house. It sure seems like gutters can be more of a pain than they are worth. I’m thinking of going gutterless again. Thoughts?

 

 

[BottleRocket 646]

We had to repaint the exterior of our house a few years ago and I decided to pay the painter a couple of hundred dollars extra to remove them rather than repairing them. I had been bad about cleaning them and as a result they were causing to wood rot. I felt that they were causing more harm than good. It looks a lot nicer without them too. We do have some erosion at the drip line now, but overall no regrets.

[deft 6849]

Pm roflbox

[William_Cannon 86]

We had to repaint the exterior of our house a few years ago and I decided to pay the painter a couple of hundred dollars extra to remove them rather than repairing them. I had been bad about cleaning them and as a result they were causing to wood rot. I felt that they were causing more harm than good. It looks a lot nicer without them too. We do have some erosion at the drip line now, but overall no regrets.

I’m in the exact same situation. I do recall there was small erosion before we had them. The soil has a lot of rock and i don’t have a basement. So actually my foundation would probably appreciate the additional water, no?

Any other considerations besides doorways?

[ROFL BOX 6649]

1.  Gutters are for

• Controlling water over entryways for entry  / egress.
• Preventing backsplash from rotting wooden areas @ the base of garage doors, entry doors, window frames, etc.
• Controlling water to prevent erosion of your landscaping, foundation, etc.
• Collecting water for reuse on vegetation or even full rainwater collection if that is a primary source of water for your home.

2.  There are leaf exclusion devices out there & the shitty ones are the expanded metal screens.  All they do is collect twigs & leaves, thus moving your issue from the gutter to the edge of the shingles.  You'll still end up with rotting possibilities if no maintenance is done.  We install the "LeaFree" system & it is similar (but lower priced) than the GutterMaxx or Leaf Guard products.  Average cost for a 1 story setup is $ 10.00 per foot.  Measure your own areas & get a generic idea of the cost.  Also, avoid the "gutter stuff" or "gutter fill" foam products; again, it just moves your problem from the gutter  to the edge of the shingles.  If you don't have drip edge, you will get problems really fast with anything that collects vegetation on top of the gutter covering [whatever system you have].

ADDITIONALLY, any gutter cover setup (LeaFree, GutterMaxx, Leaf Guard, etc.) CAN be defeated if you don't keep the bullnose clean.  The bits of Oak snot, dirt, roof grit, etc. will settle on the metal & then you lose that "rollback" action that makes the water come into the gutter & leaves pass off.  Occasionally running a stiff brush or broom across it, maybe a good power wash blast... that's what you need to prevent "Tiger Striping" on the face of the gutter & make it continue to be efficient.

That said, it's like changing the oil on your vehicle.  You know you should be doing it, but like most of us we'd rather watch TV.

3.  For a common 5" seamless "K" style, 1 story, in the common colors, it's gonna run around $ 4.75 per linear ft. (add 10 ft. for a single story, add 25 ft. for a 2 story, add 40 ft. for a 3 story).  Other things like a custom bump out (odd column detail, etc) have different prices & there's always something to consider that a customer may not realize.

Y'all are welcome to connect with me for details.  We've done San Antonio to Temple, Bastrop to Llano for our footprint of service.

[William_Cannon 86]

Oh and 4 side brick so no concerns about splashing on wooden siding.

[mulletpelini 5211]

full brick so no issues there but when they got full earlier I got to see what it would be like without them, and I'll got ahead and keep.  Just have to keep them clean every few months.  Owned a two story once, never fucking again, and gutters are just one reason why.  

I have nothing covering my gutters and from experience, it seems like that works the best.  I'm constantly cleaning my folks out because they have the fucking screen covers.  I'm ripping those fuckers out the next time I'm up there.

[Updawg 2266]

I've got a lot of oaks and was wondering if I should try covering them with something. Seems like it will just create a bigger problem than cleaning them periodically. This is for a one story


Roflbox. How much for about 75 ft. Straight shot, on a one story.

[ROFL BOX 6649]

Updawg, I'll send you a text.  Scheduling it to go out to you around 0830; don't want to have a beep wake you overnight.

[LonghornD 49]

On 6/16/2019 at 8:44 PM, Updawg said:

I've got a lot of oaks and was wondering if I should try covering them with something. Seems like it will just create a bigger problem than cleaning them periodically. This is for a one story


Roflbox. How much for about 75 ft. Straight shot, on a one story.

I'm glad you mentioned trees. I've always wondered if not having gutters could bring your trees' roots too close to the foundation and eventually cause issues.

[joe dirt 285]

On 6/15/2019 at 1:47 PM, deft said:

Pm roflbox

bummmmp. 

+1 for @ROFL BOX

he came way the hell out to derkaville for a measly 50yd run. put up great looking gutters, well as great as gutters can look anyhow. 

[ROFL BOX 6649]

FYI, @joe dirt has the worst mullet I've ever seen.

He doesn't do the "Joe Dirt" look any justice.

[mulletpelini 5211]

with or without the scooter stick?

[Extra Mustard 5]

Foundation engineer here - if you live in an area with expansive soils (i.e. most of Texas) then gutters are the best bang for your buck against long term foundation problems.   Also, downspouts should discharge several feet away from the foundation.  

It isn't just "erosion", but the fact that the moisture content of the soils is so much greater after a rainstorm.  The wetting and drying cycles are going to cause movement of the perimeter of the foundation.   

If every house had gutters, half of foundation repair companies would be out of business.  

[ROFL BOX 6649]

I'm going to add the term "expansive soils" to my list of reasons why people should have gutters.

1.  Keeps rain off your head while you're standing @ the door fumbling with keys (probably the one that gets most people's attention, even if it's not the most important).

2. Prevents splash back from the driveway, bushes @ the windows, front steps, etc. that can cause damage to door trim, windows, bricks, siding, etc.

3.  Prevents erosion & soil washout.

4.  Redirects water so it doesn't cause erosion in areas not directly associated with the waterline / drip line (i.e. collect it with a flex-pipe & re-route to a different area).

5.  Prevents ugly waterline from # 3 (nothing but gravel left, etc).

6.  Can be collected for watering the lawn, etc.

PS:  If you're building a house, be sure to have the contractor or construction superintendent install a "kickout" for any roof to wall joints where it terminates to an eave.

Or, if buying a pre-existing home be sure your inspector knows to look for that application.  If you're having a re-roof project done, that's the time to add one in.  Even with gutters, you will have a tiny gap that has water slipping past & if it runs down the wall (whatever material it is made of), you'll get an ugly, dirty, algae caused streak down the wall.

[mulletpelini 5211]

I need to add that.  Thanks Rawful.

[Jerry Callo 8703]

We need to have the wood repaired, house repainted, and gutters installed in some areas.  My question is paint first, then gutters or gutters, then paint?  @ROFL BOX 

Edited June 2, 2020 by Jerry Callo

[deadshank 24653]

40 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

We need to have the wood repaired, house repainted, and gutters installed in some areas.  My question is paint first, then gutters or gutters, then paint?  @ROFL BOX 

Remove gutters and downspouts, paint, then install new gutters and downspouts. 

( @ROFL BOX is going to call me for the answer anyway)

[Jerry Callo 8703]

10 minutes ago, deadshank said:

Remove gutters and downspouts, paint, then install new gutters and downspouts. 

( @ROFL BOX is going to call me for the answer anyway)

Thanks.

[ROFL BOX 6649]

37 minutes ago, deadshank said:

Remove gutters and downspouts, paint, then install new gutters and downspouts. 

( @ROFL BOX is going to call me for the answer anyway)

What am I supposed to call you this time?

[William_Cannon 86]

Foundation engineer here - if you live in an area with expansive soils (i.e. most of Texas) then gutters are the best bang for your buck against long term foundation problems.   Also, downspouts should discharge several feet away from the foundation.  

It isn't just "erosion", but the fact that the moisture content of the soils is so much greater after a rainstorm.  The wetting and drying cycles are going to cause movement of the perimeter of the foundation.   

If every house had gutters, half of foundation repair companies would be out of business.  

Can you elaborate on what constitutes “expansive soils” ? Also does it matter how much rock you have in the composition? Where I live, it’s a crap ton rock 18” deep.

 

 

Also seems like a double edge sword. During drought conditions, I’ve seen where my foundation doesn’t benefit from any rain since it’s all diverted by gutters and I then have to run my sprinklers to water the foundation.

[ROFL BOX 6649]

2 hours ago, William_Cannon said:

Can you elaborate on what constitutes “expansive soils” ?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/expansive-soil

[Extra Mustard 5]

On 6/2/2020 at 8:43 PM, William_Cannon said:

Can you elaborate on what constitutes “expansive soils” ? Also does it matter how much rock you have in the composition? Where I live, it’s a crap ton rock 18” deep.

 

 

Also seems like a double edge sword. During drought conditions, I’ve seen where my foundation doesn’t benefit from any rain since it’s all diverted by gutters and I then have to run my sprinklers to water the foundation.

That is what you want - during the rainy seasons, the soils will be too wet.   The wet to dry cycles is what causes long term problems.  Keeping the rain away from the foundation, and adding a moderate amount of water during dry seasons, will keep the moisture levels more under control and cause less movement.  

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

Need an honest answer here. Are gutters  something a compentant DIYer can handle, or should I leave it to the pros?

[William_Cannon 86]

Need an honest answer here. Are gutters  something a compentant DIYer can handle, or should I leave it to the pros?

how high up? If it’s high, not worth risk of injury imo.

~15 years ago, I installed my current set of gutters for like $600 in Home Depot materials. A friend helped, was a 2 man job. It wasn’t bad but it did get tedious. I didn’t have $3k so I DIY and have no regrets. Gutters still work well and have held up but they have seams which don’t look as nice, and those now have some drips. They’re made of steel and so there is some rust.

I do want to replace them now though. It’s time to paint the exterior and the screws have causes some rot on the 1x (one by) under the shingle in a couple of spots. That being said, I will not DIY again. A pro will do a better job, they’ll be seamless which will look better, and they use aluminum which won’t rust.


If you DIY, I recommend using hangers that go under the gutters instead of punching holes at the top of the gutter and using the massive screws.

[ROFL BOX 6649]

As noted ^ ^ your seams will eventually have a problem ^ connecting in any manner other than the "hidden hangers" (same spacing, should be 36") is a crap install.

If you want a self derived quote for us to do a seamless aluminum system, pace off your footage & then calc. $ 6.50 per linear ft.
Add another foot for each corner (inside OR outside) & each end cap @ another added foot.

A normal 1 story elevation = 13 ft. of downspout.
2 story drop = 26 ft

That's the basic math. Variables will always apply.

Example: 1 single 35 ft. run with no miters & 1 drop should be 48 total ft. + one L / one R end cap... 50 ft.

50 × $ 6.50 = $ 325.00 installed for a seamless aluminum 1 piece in a 6" setup.

We dont like to do repairs or add-on for less than $ 175; hard to cover expenses for less than that.

Usually a 35 ft. + single drop as described is our minimum new hang.

We can easily connect to existing & it is always advisable to go with a 6" instead of a 5".

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[William_Cannon 86]

As noted ^ ^ your seams will eventually have a problem ^ connecting in any manner other than the "hidden hangers" (same spacing, should be 36") is a crap install.

If you want a self derived quote for us to do a seamless aluminum system, pace off your footage & then calc. $ 6.50 per linear ft.
Add another foot for each corner (inside OR outside) & each end cap @ another added foot.

A normal 1 story elevation = 13 ft. of downspout.
2 story drop = 26 ft

That's the basic math. Variables will always apply.

Example: 1 single 35 ft. run with no miters & 1 drop should be 48 total ft. + one L / one R end cap... 50 ft.

50 × $ 6.50 = $ 325.00 installed for a seamless aluminum 1 piece in a 6" setup.

We dont like to do repairs or add-on for less than $ 175; hard to cover expenses for less than that.

Usually a 35 ft. + single drop as described is our minimum new hang.

We can easily connect to existing & it is always advisable to go with a 6" instead of a 5".

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

How do you determine how many down spouts are needed?

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

On 6/2/2020 at 5:33 PM, ROFL BOX said:

What am I supposed to call you this time?

I mean roofer is enough of a nasty call out as it is...

[ROFL BOX 6649]

How do you determine how many down spouts are needed?

That all depends on linear footage, size of gutter & downspout, what the landscape is like, how the yard slopes or flows, where sidewalks, patios or doorways might be in relation to inset or outset corners & all sorts of algorithms.

 

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk