Gutters

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  • JimD
    Veteran Member
    • Feb 2003
    • 4187
    • Lexington, SC.

    Gutters

    I need gutters due to my shop garage addition. The contractor didn't include them in his quote so now I need to do something. I called several contractors and now have three quotes.

    The most expensive uses K-guard two piece. It's a surface tension design. Consumers reports didn't rate it as well as the middle quote, Leafguard. I had them on the last house and never had any trouble. Consumers reports also said that while surface tension designs like this are a little better at avoiding debris, they miss some water in a really heavy rain. The simpler add-on guards are better at catching all the rain but miss a little of the debris. Overall Consumers Reports rated both types about the same - at least the better add-ons.

    That has me looking harder at the least expensive quote for normal gutters and gutter guards. It is about half the most expensive. It is a decent sized contractor who was the most responsive to my inquiry. I got a follow up call today but no pressure.

    The other variable is how much of the house I do. I could get by with just replacing the front of the house and back of the garage. That cuts the cost by a little over half. The least expensive guy will put on something pretty similar to what is on the back now. So if I went with him and only did the two areas I really need, it is about 1/4 the price of going with the most expensive contractor and doing the whole house.

    All the gutters will be on the first floor of the house. So while I do not want to clean the gutters it wouldn't be a disaster if I had to.

    Comments or Suggestions?
  • capncarl
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 3564
    • Leesburg Georgia USA
    • SawStop CTS

    #2
    In my professional opinion, gutters are the best way to rot your house down from the top down. Gutters, I've seen them all and would only put them where they were absolutely necessary to keep water from egress sites. I believe this so strongly that I did not put any gutters on my new house. This was against the builders recommendations and the installer of the aluminum trim. I've only installed gutters on the end of the patio. The entrance door at the garage needs a gutter as does my shop door, but no more rain that we get I can stand getting my head a little wet. I vote for as little gutters as you can get by with! If you have trees nearby they are a recipe for a pain in the butt.
    cqpncarl

    Comment

    • All Thumbs
      Established Member
      • Oct 2009
      • 322
      • Penn Hills, PA
      • BT3K/Saw-Stop

      #3
      I'd skip the pricey stuff. That "one-fourth the price" deal sounds pretty good to me.

      Like you said, it is the first floor, you can get to them if need be.

      Comment

      • Woodshark
        Established Member
        • May 2006
        • 158
        • Atlanta

        #4
        If you have ANY trees nearby then I would go with the Leafguard or skip gutters all together because normal open top gutters will clog up. My house has the normal gutters and we have to pay to have them cleaned three times a year. Should be more but I'm too cheap. I would do it myself but the back of my house is three stories tall and I have pins in my ankles from an accident years ago so my fine balance skills are now shot to heck.
        sigpic

        Comment

        • Brutus
          Handtools only
          • Mar 2015
          • 4
          • Northern Ohio

          #5
          I own an exterior renovation company, and have installed thousands of feet of gutters and thousands more feet of various gutter guards.

          By far the best guard I've ever used is Rhino Gutter Guard. I don't believe they've ever been rated by Consumer Reports, but they've only been around 5 or 6 years. Many of the big boys in the gutter guard industry that spend millions on advertising all have flaws that would ever keep me from using them. I'd get into more detail but I'd be typing all night lol. If you have a question about certain brands I'd be happy to give you my opinion. I believe Rhinos website is rhinogutterguard.com.

          While there is no 100% perfect guard, Rhino is in my opinion the closest thing. I've taken down Gutter Helmet, K Guard and many other brands many times to install Rhino with positive results. They also have innovative solutions for problems such as inside miters and areas where a splash guard is needed.

          Another good product is Leaf Relief, but it does have some flaws.

          When it comes to the question of whether or not to install gutters in the first place, I'd say 95% of the time it's the best decision. The only reason I'm not saying 100% is because there's always that exception to every rule lol.

          Not having gutters leads to erosion, stained concrete, trenches in landscaping directly below where the gutter would be installed, wet basements, possible foundation dammage, ice build up (if your a fool like me and have to deal with it lol) etc.

          Gutters also don't have to just be a means to and end, they can act as a piece of trim on your home. I have many customers say they never thought gutters could accent their home like they do.

          The biggest problem I see is the amount of shoddy installation there is, and yes if they're not installed correctly than they can rot your house from the top down.

          Hope this helps

          Comment

          • LinuxRandal
            Veteran Member
            • Feb 2005
            • 4889
            • Independence, MO, USA.
            • bt3100

            #6
            One issue with no gutters is erosion. The bungalow style houses in my neighborhood, have always had gutters to the best of my knowledge. (I had a neighbor who was the second owner of the home, from a couple years after it was built)
            One neighbor removed his and did some work on some rafter tails that had rot, to go back to a more traditional, non guttered style. The property on either side developed gulley's which allow water to travel more towards the foundation, rather then away from it.
            So if you go with no gutters, you will be building your lawn back up, to keep water flowing the correct way, over time.
            She couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod, and the bathroom. We had to go back for her.........................Twice.

            Comment

            • Condoman44
              Established Member
              • Nov 2013
              • 178
              • CT near Norwich
              • Ryobi BT3000

              #7
              I have standard gutters already. I am considering putting in a gutter brush in the one gutter that is hard for me to reach and always gets loaded with leaves.

              Anyone have an opinion about this product?

              Comment

              • Brutus
                Handtools only
                • Mar 2015
                • 4
                • Northern Ohio

                #8
                Gutter Brush isn't terrible in certain situations. If all you have around you are trees with large leaves, it'll do a decent job of keeping them out.

                Having said that, instead of cleaning gutters out 2/3 times a year, it'll be at the least 1 time. I actually have a section on my shop with gutter brush in it, but it's more so that I can take pics of what it looks like when leaves fall on it to show customers, and the big maple hanging over the top love to shed on it lol.

                In reality when you buy a gutter guard, you are only buying a period of time with no maintenance. No guard is 100% maintenance free. If a salesman claims theirs is, I'd like to have them prove it to me. I love to sell gutter guard jobs, but I'd never say a guard is perfect.

                Their are different box store guards you can buy that are better than Gutter Brush for sure. The best part about gutter brush it is probably the easiest guard for the average homeowner to install themselves, just be ready to take them out every now and again for cleaning

                Comment

                • JimD
                  Veteran Member
                  • Feb 2003
                  • 4187
                  • Lexington, SC.

                  #9
                  I decided to go with the least expensive option. I found an article from Consumers Reports that said there wasn't a huge difference between the more expensive options I had quotes on and the simpler gutter guards already on the rest of the house. So I decided to get something that would match and just replace/add where I needed it.

                  On my last house, the same contractor as did the addition didn't put gutters on. We had water in the basement garage - my shop. We also had damage to the wood threshold of the French door in the basement. I've always had gutters and decided to try them. It solved both issues. Currently I am getting little ravines from the runoff. Plus messed up gutters doesn't help the front of the house any.

                  They should get installed sometime next week. I didn't get a set time, it isn't a huge job and I'd like them to fit me in as soon as they can.

                  Comment

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