Gutters are the perfect way to prevent water from flowing off the roof of your home and wreaking havoc around foundations, entering basement walls or eroding away your precious soil. Many homeowners decide to take on their gutter installation themselves-and often end up with mixed results. Consider these five things before you decide to install your own gutters and see for yourself whether or not DIY gutter installation is right for you.
Navigating a Ladder
It takes lots of climbing up and down a ladder to install your own gutters. If you don’t feel comfortable navigating a step ladder on the uneven soil that surrounds your home, then installing your own gutter system isn’t going to be the best bet for you.
Having a Helper
Even though it’s called do-it-yourself work, gutter installation is far from doing it all yourself. In most cases, it’s going to take a minimum of two people to navigate a ladder, hold the gutters and attach them to the fascia. If the only three people that are installing your gutter system are me, myself and I, then you may want to hire a professional gutter installation expert to do the job for you.
Affordability
When people think of DIY projects, they often think “I’m going to save myself a fortune”. But that’s not always the case-especially when it comes to aluminum or vinyl materials. These materials are often bought and installed at a cheaper price than the average homeowner can even purchase the materials for. Be sure that you get a few estimates before you decide on installing your own gutter system to find out if DIY gutter installation is going to save you money-or waste it.
Seamless or Sectioned
Sectioned gutters typically come in 10-12′ sections that are pieced together and sealed using butyl or silicone. Seamless gutters are one continuous piece that extends from one end of your fascia to the other without a break. Whether they are seamless or not, all gutters have seams where they come together at the downspouts and corners. Price both styles of gutter systems before you buy materials and you might be surprised to find a huge difference in price between the two, even though they work the same.
Leaf Screens
Depending upon the amount of tree coverage your home has can give you a heads up as to whether or not you need a leaf screen on your gutter system-right? Wrong! Even if you live in a desert, a leaf screen does so much more than protect your gutters from leaf debris. Sand, roofing granules and insects can all enter your gutters, instantly causing them to clog and backup with water. Be sure to consider installing leaf screens on your gutters to keep them clean and free from debris for the life of your gutters.
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