Keeping your gutters at their best
Does your home need gutter repair? Perhaps some aren’t connected or have came loose from you house? Unfortunately, gutter repair and maintenance is an ongoing thing for homeowners, but the value they give your home makes the worthwhile. Many homeowners have gutter repair and roof cleaning done at the same time, along with gutter and roof inspection. That visit may cost a little more but getting it all done and out of the way is cheaper than spreading it out over the year.
What if you do your own gutter cleaning, maintenance, and repair though, maybe you aren’t sure about some of the things involved with a gutter system. Like how do you know when to replace your gutters? Here is a list of six indicator that gutter repairs aren’t going to work anymore.
Can you replace a section of gutter?
Yes, if it isn’t a seamless gutter system, replacing a section can be done with the following steps:
- Remove gutter hangers at and near the piece of gutter that needs to be replaced by inserting a piece of wood and with a hammer, pry the hanger off the fascia.
- With the wood spacers between the gutter and fascia close to the damaged gutter piece, cut the damaged area out with a hacksaw.
- Using the hacksaw, cut a piece off the new gutter piece that is four inches longer than the damaged piece you removed.
- Clean the cut gutter end pieces you cut from with a wire brush and then spread caulk over the ends. Position the new gutter patch in the center of the area cut and press it into the caulk.
- With sheet metal screws or pop rivets, secure the new gutter piece to the ends and add the fasteners to the fascia, install the new gutter piece to the fasteners. Caulk the inside of the gutter surface where the fasteners are located, including the fastener heads.
- Reinstall the hangers in new holes or use new hangers and new holes, then prime and paint the new gutter piece so that it is a close match to the existing gutter run.
How many years do gutters last?
This can depend on the quality of gutter system you have and the workmanship installing the gutters. Aluminum or galvanized steel gutters have a lifespan of 20 years. Copper gutters are more expensive but have a lifespan of 50 years. With routine inspection and cleaning, a gutter system can last the 20 year expectancy or longer.
Does homeowner’s insurance cover gutter replacement?
Unless your policy states it specifically, gutter repair or gutter replacement are not covered by homeowner’s insurance. Why? Because this is considered to be a homeowner’s responsibility to keep maintenance and repairs done. Possible exceptions that your homeowner’s insurance will have any coverage of the gutters would be:
- Gutters were knocked off during a windstorm.
- Gutters have extensive hail damage.
- Gutters were damaged in a roof fire.
- Gutters were damaged in a hurricane or tornado.
- Gutters were damaged by a falling tree branch.
