While your roof gutters are not as eye-catching as your windows, lawn, or your overall façade, they play a crucial role in keeping you safe from the elements, especially in the frigid nor’easters that Boston frequently faces. These components are designed to be solid, sturdy, and leak-free, protecting your foundations from water damage and infiltration by redirecting water away from your home. They also help you protect your home’s value, as water infiltration often results in widespread damage that is expensive to repair.
Many homeowners replace their gutter systems once they replace their roofs, but they don’t always have to happen together. You can also decide to repair them, helping you save on costs. Most residential gutters are comprised of aluminum or galvanized steel, giving them a lifespan of up to 20 years. Copper gutters can last even longer at 50 years as long as they are cared for properly. However, due to some instances, you’ll have to replace your gutters sooner than expected. Here’s what you need to know about gutter replacement:
Replacing Your Gutter and Roof at the Same Time
Local roofing companies often recommend replacing your gutters and roof at the same time since it allows you to save on labor costs. The licensed roofing contractors will perform both jobs at the same time, giving you immediate solutions to your problems. It’s also more convenient to have one roofing company perform both tasks and do them simultaneously. To repair or replace your roof, they’ll have to remove the gutters to install components like the fascia, flashings, and drip edges.
Fitted Gutters
A crucial factor of extending the life of your gutters is ensuring they were installed correctly and fit well. The size and material of your gutters should be compatible with Massachusetts weather and the wear and tear they’ll encounter. However, if they weren’t fitted properly from the get-go, you’ll have to replace them before expected.
The Importance of Gutter Replacement
Sometimes, you’ll have to repair or replace gutters once you spot water damage in your foundation, roof, or walls. Improperly installed gutters prevent your roof from performing as it should, which means it won’t protect your home as well as it should. For instance, if your gutters were installed too high, melting snow can force the gutters to pull away. If they were installed too low, rainfall would pass the gutters entirely.
Additionally, your gutters may just be too small for snowy, cold Boston winters. If they were incorrectly installed, they wouldn’t funnel water to the designated downspouts. The water may even reach the fascia if your initial contractors did not install the drip edges properly.
Signs You Need to Replace Your Gutters
Water damage can lead to lengthy, costly, and complicated repairs, so it’s best to prevent it from occurring. The best way to avoid this is to conduct routine inspections of your gutters, especially after a heavy rainfall or a storm, to check how they redirect the water.
Here are signs you need to replace your gutters:
- Peeling paint, which means that the gutter may be overflowing with rain
- A collection of water or mold on your exterior walls or basement, indicating clogged or cracked gutters that allow rain to leak into your home
- Foundation cracks, which happen when damaged gutters drip water onto your foundation
- Nails on the ground, indicating that they’ve fallen off the gutters
- Gaps between the gutters and the fascia
- Sagging or hanging gutters, which you can no longer reattach
- Sagging downspouts
- Misaligned, cracked, rusted, or bent gutters
- Water damage under the gutter, which means that water evaded the gutter and hit your fascia instead.
Luckily, some of these issues are easy to fix. Regardless of the problem, it’s best to entrust the job to gutter contractors near Needham to ensure they repair and replace everything correctly.
Conclusion
Gutters may not be at the top of a homeowner’s list of priorities, but they do a critical job of keeping water away from the vital parts of your home. By knowing when to replace your gutters, you’ll extend their lifespan and enjoy better protection from harsh weather conditions, like heavy storms and snowfall.
Roofing and Siding of Boston is a residential roofing company with a team of licensed roofing contractors that can assist your every roofing and siding-related need. We specialize in metal and asphalt roofing, vinyl siding, fascia and gutters, and roof installation. Contact us today to learn more about how we can service your roof!
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