As most homeowners are confident in cleaning out the gutters and downspouts, they believe that a DIY gutter replacement is an easy enough job. For some small, easy fixes this may be the correct way to go but embarking on a full gutter replacement job without the proper tools and experience is a recipe for disaster. You may have come out of winter or a particularly bad storm with some damage to your gutters from ice dams and high winds. As we’ve touched on before in our DIY Roofing post, there are a multitude of reasons that DIY projects are ill-advised, even for the handiest homeowner. Gutters are an important and often overlooked aspect of your roofing system as they not only help the roof shed water, but also aid in protecting the base of your home, the foundation, from facing excess water. While it is still highly recommended to regularly clean your gutters in your spring cleaning and fall cleanup routines, we have compiled some very important reasons for homeowners to avoid embarking on their own DIY gutter replacement jobs.
Gutter Replacements Require Certain Knowledge
To properly shed and remove water, gutters are not flat from corner to corner. From one corner to the other, gutters are pitched just enough to ensure water flows down properly to the downspout, without being pitched too much that high volumes of rain rush down and spill over the end. Proper care must be taken here to not only ensure water shed, but also that the gutter system is properly braced. Water, especially in moderate to high volumes is relatively heavy; therefore, gutter professionals understand where and how to appropriately brace the system to account for this. Also, unlike a roofing system where the work is not primarily done from ladders, gutter replacements mostly take place on a ladder, from measuring and cutting, to the actual installation itself. These professionals understand where best to place a ladder for efficiency, and they possess the comfort to spend most of their time on them. This may not seem like a daunting task for a single story home, but it becomes dangerous as more floors are added.
Correct Tooling Poses Issues
While it might not seem like a large amount of specialized tooling is required to complete a gutter replacement job, there are certain things that make the job easier that the average homeowner doesn’t own. It would be difficult to outline all the required tool, but rest assured the tools to complete this job are unlikely to be found in the average toolbox. Attempting to tackle this job without the proper tooling will result in a less-than-satisfactory outcome that may negate any potential savings when it comes time for professional repair.
You’re Still Making Holes In Your Roof
While the gutter system may not seem like it could cause damage to a roofing system, holes are still being made that could compromise the impervious nature of your home. Professionals know where and how to attach gutter systems to ensure that they are not introducing areas of potential leaks into a home. A proper gutter replacement is a seamless integration to help in getting the most out of your roofing system.
What you may save in money, you will ultimately end up losing in time. As gutter replacements are a relatively specialized job, it is highly likely that you will require at least some form of repair to your system following a DIY effort. Do it right, do it once, and hire a professional service for your gutter replacement.