Gutter Repair & Replacement

How often gutters or downspouts should be replaced depends on the type of gutter your home has.

Aluminum gutters are the most-common material used, and they usually last about 20 years with occasional maintenance. Vinyl gutters, on the other hand, are the least-durable, lasting only about 10 years or so. 

On the higher end of both lifespan and price point, copper gutters can last as long as 80 years and the uncommon Zinc gutters can last at least 50 years due to the metals' weather resistance.

Signs your gutters need to be replaced include:

• Gutters sagging, bending, or pulling away from the house – all of the above indicate loose brackets or missing screws.
• Gaps, cracks or fractures in your gutters
• Rust, depending on the type of gutter, can lead to the gutters shattering or breaking.
• Soil erosion or foundation problems – a gutter's duty is to divert water away from your home's foundation. If the system isn't working properly, water can cause water to pool and damage the soil and foundation around your home.
• Exterior paint peeling, mold, or water damage marks can indicate malfunctioning gutters.

If you imagine a house while it is raining, you can think about how all of the water on the roof is flowing down the roof and coming off right at the edge. Without gutters, all of this water is falling straight down to the ground in this area. If the roof is large, or if multiple roof planes empty onto each other, the amount of water falling into a small area may be very substantial. 

A home’s gutters divert water away from the roofline and the home itself, protecting the roof, the walls, the foundation, and the surrounding landscape from erosion or water damage. 

We recommend cleaning your gutters out at least twice a year. While the actual job of cleaning your gutters isn’t particularly difficult, it’s a common homeowner chore that gets put on the back burner. But keeping your gutters clean will enable them to do their job of protecting your home properly.

There are a few tools you need or may want to consider: a ladder or extension ladder, to reach your gutters; gloves, to protect your hands; safety glasses, to protect your eyes from any dust or dander you disturb as you clean; a trowel to loosen any compressed waste; a garden hose with a spray nozzle; and at least one bucket for the debris you remove. 

Once you have all your tools ready, your gloves and glasses on, begin clearing out your gutter near a downspout, removing any and all large debris throughout your system. After all the large bits are removed, use your garden hose to flush out any remaining debris, moving from the farthest point from the downspout toward it. A pressure washer could also be used for extra umph to your spraying. If, after you’ve sprayed the gutters clean, you notice the water isn’t draining, check the downspout for any clogging. If there is something keeping the downspout from working, feed the hose up the downspout and turn the water on at full pressure to dislodge any remaining debris, or use a plumber’s snake if the blockage is not coming loose. Finally, once the water is flowing smoothly, repair any leaking seams or joints with a gutter sealant and inspect for any damage on each gutter section and downspout. 

And, if you’re not comfortable with climbing the ladder yourself to do the job, consider hiring a professional to do the work for you.

When water flows from the roof and into these unsung heroes, it picks up any and all things in its path, including leaves, branches, and pollen, that may settle into and clog your gutters. Built-up debris can hurt your gutters’ ability to guide water away from your home, potentially causing the gutters to sag, mold to grow, roofs to leak, basements to flood, or damage to your interior or exterior walls. Any of these issues can lead to the need for expensive repairs.

Gutter guards also come into play here, as they are designed to be installed either overtop or inside the gutter and prevent large debris from clogging the gutter while still allowing water to flow through the system and away from the home. Similarly to gutters, there are many different types and styles, but their main purpose is to prevent gutters from getting clogged.

Gutter guards (also called leaf screens or leaf guards) are a product that is designed to be installed either overtop or inside the gutter and prevent large debris from getting into the gutter while still allowing water in. Similarly to gutters, there are many different types and styles, but their main purpose is to prevent gutters from getting clogged.

They can keep you from having to clean the debris out of your gutters yourself, saving you time and money. But, like every other joy of being a homeowner, even gutter guards need occasional maintenance. Keep an eye on whether anything collects on top of them or if you start to see water flow over the edge of your gutters. If the water’s coming out over top rather than taking the gutter’s path of least resistance, more often than not it means you’ve got a clogged gutter or gutter guards.