Gutter help - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

SkaterGirl · 10-02-2003, 11:33 AM

I'm planning on putting new gutters on my house. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations from past experiences? Did anyone out there use Leafguard or Guttermax? If so, do you recommend either of these products? Also, how much should this cost? I have a 2 story house that needs about 130 feet of gutters. Any comments or recommendations would be much appreciated. My husband and I may install them ourselves or we may hire someone. Its just all up in the air right now.

LewisCouch · 10-03-2003, 07:27 AM

About a year ago I solicited an estimate from Leafguard. I too own a two story home, roughly 2600 sq ft. with about the same amount of gutter as you. Anyway, when this guy presented his estimate, I almost asked him to leave my property. The bid was for $5200 which put the price at about $25 a foot!

Subsequently, I found a contracter who cleaned all the gutters and installed plastic screens that simply are inserted under the last row of roofing and snap over the gutter. Total cost was $330. They work great keeping out all of the fir needles and I just have the gutters cleaned once a year. Coincidentally, I just had them cleaned two days ago. Cost was $95.

Good luck making your decision. There are a myriad of products that all purport to be the best.

Dibbler · 10-03-2003, 08:27 AM

I had the plastic gutters on my house until about 2 years ago when we had baseball size hail. Punched holes right through them. I had about 250 feet of seamless 6" gutter replaced including 4"x5" downspouts. Cost me $900 but took me forever to find a guy to do it at a reasonable price. Average should be in the $3.50 to $6.00 per foot range for a good quality steel.

Seamless is the only way to go. If you want to do it yourself and save some money you can buy the stuff. The guy will show up in front of your house, make the required sizes and leave. Should cost somewhere around $1.50 to $2.50 per foot. Better to have them do it though since installing a 50' section of gutter by yourself is no picnic.

fhqwhgads · 10-03-2003, 05:27 PM

If you do it yourself, make sure you read up on it a bit. I had a friend who installed them fine, but forgot to slope them toward the drains, so the water just sat there in the gutters instead of draining through...

Best of luck to ya...

wondash · 10-08-2003, 04:33 AM

Pine Needles... Ahhhhhhhhh! I've got very tall Japanese Black Pines along the side of my properly. They drop billions of 4 inch long needles. It clogs my gutters every couple of months. And I've got plastic screens over them. I've been thinking about calling Leafguard or Guttermax or the likes, but after reading SkaterGirl's experience with the price, I don't know what to do.

wondash · 11-12-2003, 02:04 PM

For the hell of it, we had GutterGuard give us a quote. They replace all the gutters and down spouts. If they ever clog, they'll come to the house within 24 hours and clear them out (for the life of the house). Needless to say, the quote was outrageously high (over $3000).

With a little research, I was able to find a do-it-yourself product called Gutter Shut. It looks and works almost exactly the way GutterGuard does. Costs $99 for 30 feet. I'm going to try it on my garage (where most of the needles fall). If it works well, I may do the rest of the house.

nirol · 11-12-2003, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wondash
Pine Needles... Ahhhhhhhhh! I've got very tall Japanese Black Pines along the side of my properly. They drop billions of 4 inch long needles. It clogs my gutters every couple of months. And I've got plastic screens over them. I've been thinking about calling Leafguard or Guttermax or the likes, but after reading SkaterGirl's experience with the price, I don't know what to do.

Fear Not! There is simple solution to the dreaded pine needles in the gutters. Chain Saw!!

Do try to keep large pines from being too close to the house, they like to lean on houses after good storms. I had a gutter helmet type devices on one of my houses, and the pine needles still liked to go in the gutters, especially fine single needles.
Good Luck

wondash · 11-13-2003, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nirol
Fear Not! There is simple solution to the dreaded pine needles in the gutters. Chain Saw!!

apetaster · 11-13-2003, 06:26 AM

As mentioned above I too am a huge fan of seamless (and aftermarket gutter screening.) Also it was mentioned that seamless companies generally do not do installations - they just form and drop the gutters and all the required fasteners, hardware and sealant and you are on your own.

I would recommend calling a local handyman or roofing/siding company for a labor-only price on getting an installation if DIY is not your cup of tea. Installing gutters is not rocket science and is very quick work, and if you get a number of bids, you are sure to come across a hungry handyman or roofing company who would do the installs for cheap.

clavus · 11-15-2003, 10:18 PM

Holy shit, people! Install them yourself. My dad and I did a whole house in one afternoon. It was about as technical as digging a ditch.

If your buy galvinized metal gutters, you need to rub them down with vinegar before you paint them (let the vinegar dry off prior to painting). This dissolves a chemical on the metal that would cause the paint to flake off. Paint them prior to installation. It will make your life so much easier.

I bought everything at Home Despot, and it was pretty cheap, cosidering the scope of the project. Tools you need for the job include two ladders, a caulk gun, tin snips, gloves and an two hammers.

Be sure you slope the gutters and follow the manufacturer's instructions as to the number of supports needed per # of feet.

Do it! Save yourself some money. Its really not tough, its just something that most folks don't generally do themselves.

PM me if you have any questions

10-02-2003, 11:33 AM	#1 (permalink)
SkaterGirl Upright Location: Seattle	Gutter help I'm planning on putting new gutters on my house. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations from past experiences? Did anyone out there use Leafguard or Guttermax? If so, do you recommend either of these products? Also, how much should this cost? I have a 2 story house that needs about 130 feet of gutters. Any comments or recommendations would be much appreciated. My husband and I may install them ourselves or we may hire someone. Its just all up in the air right now.

10-03-2003, 07:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
LewisCouch Insane Location: Pacific NW	About a year ago I solicited an estimate from Leafguard. I too own a two story home, roughly 2600 sq ft. with about the same amount of gutter as you. Anyway, when this guy presented his estimate, I almost asked him to leave my property. The bid was for $5200 which put the price at about $25 a foot! Subsequently, I found a contracter who cleaned all the gutters and installed plastic screens that simply are inserted under the last row of roofing and snap over the gutter. Total cost was $330. They work great keeping out all of the fir needles and I just have the gutters cleaned once a year. Coincidentally, I just had them cleaned two days ago. Cost was $95. Good luck making your decision. There are a myriad of products that all purport to be the best. __________________ "The gift of liberty is like that of a horse, handsome, strong, and high-spirited. In some it arouses a wish to ride; in many others, on the contrary, it increases the desire to walk." -- Massimo d'Azeglio

11-15-2003, 10:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
clavus pow! Location: NorCal	Holy shit, people! Install them yourself. My dad and I did a whole house in one afternoon. It was about as technical as digging a ditch. If your buy galvinized metal gutters, you need to rub them down with vinegar before you paint them (let the vinegar dry off prior to painting). This dissolves a chemical on the metal that would cause the paint to flake off. Paint them prior to installation. It will make your life so much easier. I bought everything at Home Despot, and it was pretty cheap, cosidering the scope of the project. Tools you need for the job include two ladders, a caulk gun, tin snips, gloves and an two hammers. Be sure you slope the gutters and follow the manufacturer's instructions as to the number of supports needed per # of feet. Do it! Save yourself some money. Its really not tough, its just something that most folks don't generally do themselves. PM me if you have any questions __________________ Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.

10-03-2003, 08:27 AM	#3 (permalink)
Dibbler Psycho Location: Initech, Iowa	I had the plastic gutters on my house until about 2 years ago when we had baseball size hail. Punched holes right through them. I had about 250 feet of seamless 6" gutter replaced including 4"x5" downspouts. Cost me $900 but took me forever to find a guy to do it at a reasonable price. Average should be in the $3.50 to $6.00 per foot range for a good quality steel. Seamless is the only way to go. If you want to do it yourself and save some money you can buy the stuff. The guy will show up in front of your house, make the required sizes and leave. Should cost somewhere around $1.50 to $2.50 per foot. Better to have them do it though since installing a 50' section of gutter by yourself is no picnic.

10-03-2003, 05:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
fhqwhgads Junkie	If you do it yourself, make sure you read up on it a bit. I had a friend who installed them fine, but forgot to slope them toward the drains, so the water just sat there in the gutters instead of draining through... Best of luck to ya...

10-08-2003, 04:33 AM	#5 (permalink)
wondash Psycho	Pine Needles... Ahhhhhhhhh! I've got very tall Japanese Black Pines along the side of my properly. They drop billions of 4 inch long needles. It clogs my gutters every couple of months. And I've got plastic screens over them. I've been thinking about calling Leafguard or Guttermax or the likes, but after reading SkaterGirl's experience with the price, I don't know what to do.

11-12-2003, 02:04 PM	#6 (permalink)
wondash Psycho	For the hell of it, we had GutterGuard give us a quote. They replace all the gutters and down spouts. If they ever clog, they'll come to the house within 24 hours and clear them out (for the life of the house). Needless to say, the quote was outrageously high (over $3000). With a little research, I was able to find a do-it-yourself product called Gutter Shut. It looks and works almost exactly the way GutterGuard does. Costs $99 for 30 feet. I'm going to try it on my garage (where most of the needles fall). If it works well, I may do the rest of the house.

11-13-2003, 06:26 AM	#9 (permalink)
apetaster Insane Location: P.R. Mass.	As mentioned above I too am a huge fan of seamless (and aftermarket gutter screening.) Also it was mentioned that seamless companies generally do not do installations - they just form and drop the gutters and all the required fasteners, hardware and sealant and you are on your own. I would recommend calling a local handyman or roofing/siding company for a labor-only price on getting an installation if DIY is not your cup of tea. Installing gutters is not rocket science and is very quick work, and if you get a number of bids, you are sure to come across a hungry handyman or roofing company who would do the installs for cheap.