Let me be clear on this: gutter installation, repair and maintenance work is not a do-it-yourself type of a job. Some people think that they can just go to their local Home Depot or Lowes store and buy all the needed materials, go home and hang their own eavestrough. The available do-it-yourself gutters are plastic made and come in standard 10 foot sections. With passage of time, plastic gets brittle, particularly in cold weather. As a result, it easily cracks, making it a poor material choice when it comes to eavestroughing.
It is almost impossible to have seamless gutters with the available do-it-yourself materials, as they result in multiple water leaks. According to the experts, plastic eavestroughs have unique challenges in the Canadian climate and thus are best left alone. For instance, they leak everywhere even when newly installed. Installing gutter protection in roofs with these sorts of gutters is also next to impossible.

Which is the best material when it comes to eavestroughs?

The industry standard material for gutters is seamless aluminum and for three good reasons. It is weather-resistant, durable and never rusts. However, so as to get the best installation results, let a professional handle the task. Gutter installation and maintenance professionals have the right expertise and tools to perform an excellent job. For example, they use roll forming machines to make seamless gutters of any length. They can customize a gutter system to fit the length of any roof. If leaks are to be prevented, gutters need to be installed this way.

Formation of ice dams

This is another important issue that requires the attention of gutter installation and maintenance professionals. Most homes in this country have one type of an eavestrough or another. But if any homeowner thinks that this important part of his home is safe from damages, blame games and wrongful attacks, he is wrong. All over the country, the poor unsuspecting gutters are wrongfully blamed for the bothersome winter malady that is commonly referred to as ice dams. These are huge mounds of ice that accumulate on top of the roof and eavestrough. This ice causes a lot of damages to the roof shingles, gutters and result in major water leaks.

Probable solutions for ice dams

1. One of the best ways to prevent ice dams from forming according to the gutter maintenance professionals is to increase insulation in the attic. The homeowner needs to make sure that heat migration into the attic from the living room is reduced.

2. Another way to reduce this heat loss is to increase attic ventilation. This allows heat that manages to escape to be vented from attic space through the soffit and roof.

3. The last solution is to prevent warm indoor air from travelling into the attic. It doesn’t take much of a gap or hole to let this heat to escape. Attic access door is a good spot for huge air leaks into the attic. The area above the bathrooms and kitchen are a favorite when it comes to ice dam formation. The kitchen in particular puts out massive heat due to the stove and other heat generating appliances.

Why you should not opt for a DIY approach with eavestrough installation and maintenance

Professional gutter installers ensure that the whole eavestrough system is correctly sloped. Failure to do so makes the water to pool and not properly draining. You don’t want this with your gutter system, do you? You want something that is both functional and durable. Installing it right the first time is what you need with your gutter system. So get a professional to install and maintain your eavestrough system. Here are pointers to help you hire the right professional gutter service provider and not a fly by night kind:

1. If a service provider specializes only in gutter or eavestrough installation and services, then that is truly what he does.

2. If the service provider has an own eavestrough machine, equipment and truck, then he is definitely the right choice.

3. He is experienced, meaning that he has been in eavestrough business for at least five years.

4. He has an HST number.

5. He doesn’t sub-contract the jobs to other companies.

6. He doesn’t hire another company to roll and drop the gutters so that he can install it.

7. He provides you with a detailed and professional estimate fully indicating all work to be done.

8. He carries a full and correct operations license and liability insurance.

9. He buys his aluminum only from reputable suppliers

10. He miters his corners and doesn’t use pre-made factory corners.

11. He offers a strong warranty on his workmanship.

12. He provides great references when asked for them and can provide verifiable addresses where you can pay a visit to look at some of the previous work he has done.

All in all, you have hired a gutter specialist, you will have a worry-free experience with your gutters and can enjoy the best of your house for many years to come!

Driving around your locality and surrounding areas, you could be forgiven to think that people love being up on their roofs. You will see a whole lot of cold folks up on the roofs instead seeing them in front of their houses doing one sort of repair work or another on their roofs, in particular on the gutters. Common sense dictates that they should be inside their homes, but they all know that it is property owner’s duty to take care of gutter maintenance tasks. With the winter fast approaching, it is time to straight out the eavestroughs, fasten any lose joints or hatches, and get a whole lot of maintenance undertakings done.

Can rainwater destroy your home?

As a matter of fact, if not channeled in the right direction, rainwater can cause a lot of devastating issues on any building, your home included. Knowledgeable homeowners have known this all along. So you will find them up in their eavestroughs cleaning leaves, dirt and debris. Cleaning out the gutter is also a good way to fight the nature’s autumn weapon- the leaves. We all know that it can be a difficult task to beat the leaves in autumn. But it still can be done. How, you might ask. Well, read on to find out.

What is the importance of having a protected gutter system?

To start with, a properly functioning gutter system pulls rainwater away from this home. This saves the home’s foundation as it is well protected from the speedy falling water from the gutters. This is particularly important when it comes to concrete foundations, which are prone to water absorption.

Knowledgeable homeowners have also realized the importance of preventing rainwater from splashing on the sidings and thereby tearing it down little by little over time. This same water can cause a lot of damages on the rubber seals in the windows or even, the doors. So having a proper gutter system is a good start. Nevertheless, gutter maintenance can be quite overwhelming in some parts of the country, particularly in the fall season.

What is cost of foregoing gutter repair and maintenance?

Do you know that not maintaining your eavestroughs can potentially cost more than not having them at all? Yes, clogged eavestroughs get heavy, something that end up damaging the sidings, sometimes even pulling them away from where they are attached. And because the water is going nowhere but straight into your landscaped and beautiful yard, it is turned into a mud bog. This also turns your seemingly sturdy foundation into a joke. But because we are all human, we like putting things off until it is too late, don’t we?

So what can you use so as to avoid having to climb up to the roof to clean the gutters?

Imagine how amazing it can be to simply not having the periodic gutter cleaning exercise on your list. This can be a possibility by having the right gutter guards installed. These seemingly unimportant items can take that fall maintenance undertaking right of your list. With gutter guards, you won’t need to regularly climb up to the roof to clear debris from the gutters. Best of all, you won’t be accused of negligence. Isn’t this what all of us homeowners have been wishing for?

Aren’t gutter guards helpful when it come to time saving on maintenance tasks?

First of all, gutters are also commonly referred to as eavestroughs and are made from a variety of different materials. They come in a wide array of different designs though installations methods are all the same. Properly installed gutter guards certainly do help in time saving. This is because they are helpful when it comes to beating fall leaves storm. You will find accumulation of dirt and debris such leaves and that are typical of open gutters all can be avoided.

What does this mean for a homeowner?

It means he is able to avoid the periodic and often dangerous task of climbing up the roof to clean or clear debris from the gutters. Yes, no necessity to be on the roof top, up to the elbows in wads and wads of rotten leaves and debris of the same sort. And no more danger of the sagging gutters falling down the building, causing untold damages to everything on its paths, windows, doors and floor included. It also means not having to worry about the spring thaw. Doesn’t all this sound good?

When all’s said and done all buildings whether new and old, need all to have properly installed eavestroughs and that have been fitted with gutter guards so as to help prevent debris from finding its way inside. Simply put, a properly functioning gutter is quite helpful when it come to diverting water away from the buildings foundation in addition to preventing flooding and leaks.

Before we get started, why do you need an eavestrough system at your home? An eavestrough system is used to guide rain water safely off the roofs though things such as downspouts. The system basically channels this water away from the building to safe place. Depending on where you live, this water can be channeled into a storm drain, main drain or even right onto the lawn. Unfortunately like all other systems installed in a building, the eavestrough systems also are prone to issues and if not swiftly handled, the resultant damages can be very expensive to reverse. Here are some of these problems in details.

Water blockage

This is one of the commonest issues for building owners that have eavestroughs on the roof of their properties. Water blockage is normally caused by uncontrolled dirt accumulation or debris such as shingle pieces and leaves finding their way into the eavestrough system. Sagging eaves or loose joints within the system also can hinder the free flow of water.

Eavestroughs that are slightly sagging fortunately can be repaired by realigning them. This is done by either repositioning the existing bracket or nailing in a loose spike. The repairer should however be careful not to move the eavestrough too much as there is a danger of the alignment at the joints being pushed off the course. Some strings or wires should be used around the eavestrough and then attached onto a nail on the roof to safely secure it. Remember that this is only a temporary solution because eventually the whole problematic section will have to be taken down and replaced if necessary.

If a sagging eavestrough is in a relatively good shape, simply have it straightened out and re-attached back into the roof. After re-attaching the problematic eavestrough, some tests need to be conducted so as to ensure that water is freely flowing and not forming puddles down the system. This test also determines whether water is leaking out in some spots on the eavestrough system.

Pinhole leaks

This is another common issue with eavestroughs that also need to be addressed as soon as it is noticed. Pin holes can easily be sealed with sealants such as silicone. There are kits available that can be bought for addressing these sorts of issues. However, patching a pinhole with silicon is only a temporary solution, meaning that in due course, the whole problematic section of the eavestrough will have to be replaced to effectively fix the issue.

Lose joints

Galvanized eavestroughs are the types that are mostly affected by this issue. If you notice loose joints, they must be soldered back to effectively remedy the issue. After having your eavestrough system repaired, it is now time to have it painted afresh or re-painted. This step applies to all types of eavestrough systems. Galvanized gutters and eavestroughs have to be painted on the inside and outside.

However, the eavestrough system has to be dry before any painting work could go commence. Though there are a number of specific paints that are recommended for eavestroughs, the normal house paint can also be applied. Note however that a primer must be applied first before application of the said standard house paint. New eavestroughs must be allowed to weather for at least six months before any paint work could be done on them. If you would rather not wait for six months for the eavestrough to weather, then add some vinegar and water solution to degrease the metal to allow for painting.

How do you test if a newly repaired eavestrough is correctly draining water?

It should be noted that a properly functioning eavestrough drains water down a line at 6mm per liter. To test this, have the repair person or anyone else for that matter, to pour some water at one end of the eavestrough using a bucket. Carefully watch the water as it flows down the line and you will soon see if there are any problems. If water is found pooling in certain sections of the eavestrough, then the whole system will need to be readjusted.

Avoiding water around the immediate perimeter of your house

To prevent water from flowing into the immediate perimeter of your house, things such as dry wells and splash block need to be employed. They all are used to draw water away from the building after shooting out down the downspout.

All in all, proper eavestrough maintenance consists of regular visual inspection and cleaning at least once every six months. Visual inspections are used for checking for things such as lose joints, misplaced spikes and leaks. This in simple terms is the inspection of the integrity of the whole system. With the right maintenance and care, your eaves should last for many years to come while safely keeping excess rain water flowing away from your house or property for that matter.