It’s a sad fact of life: Gutters don’t last forever. An even sadder fact of life: Not all houses come with gutters installed. The time will come that you need to install gutters on your home and you’ll have to ask yourself this question: Do I hang my gutters myself or hire a professional?
Doing it yourself certainly seems easy enough. As long as you have a drill and a tall ladder, you won’t have to rent anything and all the parts are typically available at any big box hardware store. You can do the job on your own time instead of paying someone by the hour. And don’t forget the feeling of accomplishment and bragging rights you’ll get by doing it yourself.
However, installing gutters yourself has its drawbacks. Working on a ladder is difficult and dangerous, especially working in areas where there may be deterioration. If you have old gutters, there’s a good chance that there is some deterioration in your siding or fascia which could make hanging the gutters difficult. Gutter companies can repair rotting fascia boards or shingles.
Although most gutters are made of vinyl or aluminum which makes them relatively light, they can be quite cumbersome to work with, especially when standing high on a ladder. According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, there are more than 164,000 emergency room-treated injuries each year and 300 deaths in the United States due to ladder falls.
Hanging gutters is more precise than you might think. They require a specific pitch to them―too little or too much and water won’t flow as it should. If they tilt too much, you’ll experience water flowing over the side of the gutter as they won’t be able to handle the amount of water coming off your roof when it rains. If there’s any sagging, you’ll have water puddling there which could cause debris build up and can lead to ice dams in the winter.
A professional gutter installer can install seamless gutters that are fabricated on site to the direct measurements of your home, and because there are no seams, they’re less prone to developing leaks later on. Many houses are not simple rectangles. A professional will know the best design for your gutters so that water is being directed away from your house and the spouts are in the right place so you don’t have problems with pooling at the bottom of your downspouts. If you do have this problem or others because of your gutter installation, any reputable installer will stand behind their work and fix them. If you’re the one installing, you’re the one standing behind your work so you’re the one left fixing the problems.
Installing gutters can be difficult, that’s why most construction companies subcontract the work out instead of dealing with the hassle themselves. Professional gutter technicians will not only do a professional job hanging them, but they’ll take down your old ones and get rid of them, and when they’re done with the project, they’ll clean up any mess so your property looks as great as it did before, minus the old crappy gutters, of course!
Save those DIY inclinations for other home projects and call GutterPros. GutterPros is one of the leading gutter installation services in St. Louis. We pride ourselves on offering affordable, quick, and high-quality service for your gutters, including cleaning and repairing them too. Call for a free estimate today at (314)656-7195.