Basic Guide for Gutter Installation (Or Why It’s Best to Let the Professionals Do It)

At first glance, gutter installation seems like a walk in the park. Such a misconception is not surprising considering that gutters are composed of just a few parts and, thus, their installation will only require a few easy steps. Until you begin installing a gutter on your own and the realization that you should have hired the best Tennessee roofing contractor starts to sink in, that is.

 

In most instances, do-it-yourself roofing projects as performed by amateurs are more likely to be failures than roofing projects done by the professionals. It’s Murphy’s Law at work: Everything that can go wrong will go wrong from the mismatched pipes to the misaligned gutters.

 

What exactly are the steps in gutter installation and what can possibly go wrong during each step? Let’s take a look.

 

Planning the Project

 

The first step is planning the project, which involves several steps including replacing the rotten wood, recording the gutter length and marking the locations of the downspouts. You may overlook a few or all of the following steps:

 

• Adding 4 feet to the measured height of the downspouts as extensions away from the house.

• Placing three elbows on the downspouts.

• Locating downspouts in unobstructed areas so that water can be directed away from the side of the house and in inconspicuous locations for better visual effect.

 

You can easily overlook several of the myriad details involved in planning a gutter installation, which an experienced Tennessee roofing contractor will not.

 

Measuring, Cutting and Joining the Gutters And then there is the matter of precise measurements in regard to the gutter sections. Keep in mind that even a single half-inch of variation in the gutter sections can result in issues when joining these parts.

 

Other mistakes that can happen include:

 

• Assembling the gutter sections on the roof.

• Leaving the homemade cut outside instead of the factory-cut end.

• Lapping the gutters such that water will be forced out of the seam.

 

Hanging the Sections

 

The sections must also be placed such that these work as expected. The most common mistakes in this step include:

 

• Forgetting to slope the gutters toward the downspout.

• Overlooking the leveling task vis-a-vis the fascia and the gutter.

 

Finishing with the Hangers, Flashings and Downspouts

 

If you think that that’s all there is to gutter installation, think again. You must also install hangers and flashings to the gutters, said parts of which will prevent water runoff to the gutters and, hence, to the side of the house. These parts are not something that any amateur can deal with and expect satisfactory results. The last basic step is to install the downspout. You will require a special crimper tool for this task, which you may not have or may not know how to use properly.

 

The bottom line: Why risk your roof in particular and your house in general by undertaking DIY gutter installation and commit several costly mistakes when you can hire the professionals? You will be saving yourself plenty of headaches, not to mention body aches from failing down the ladder, cutting parts of your flesh, and carrying materials up and down the roof.