Gutters and Downspouts: What You Should Know

The key to preventing potentially extensive, and expensive, home water damage is properly installed — and properly maintained— gutters and downspouts. Though gutters can to be overlooked when it comes to home maintenance, the reality is without them, your home could face serious problems. From the foundation itself to siding, landscaping, basement flooding and more, water is responsible for some of the biggest, most costly home repairs imaginable. As a result, proper water management around your home contributes to the best preventive maintenance you can undertake as a homeowner. 

If you’re noticing water flooding over the tops of your gutters when it rains, or water pooling in places where it shouldn’t, it could spell serious trouble for your roof, siding, driveway or sidewalks, and more. The right gutters and downspouts, correctly installed, ensure that water is funneled safely away from the home, helping mitigate potential water damage to some of the most expensive components of your home.

How Much Does it Cost to Install Gutters and Downspouts?

Gutter and downspout installation cost varies depending on the size of your home, the structure of your roofline, and the gutters themselves. Like many other products, you can choose a cheap gutter or an expensive gutter, and the full range in between. Gutters also come with additional features and upgrades, like leaf guards and on-site extruding, that can increase the price.

For an average gutter on a typical house expect to spend about $1,000. Gutter installation price can range easily from the mid $500s to $9,000 or $10,000. 

Replacing vs. Repairing Gutters and Downspouts

It’s usually pretty simple to tell if it’s time to replace your gutters, or if you can manage to have them repaired:

Repair your gutters if:

• Gutters have concentrated damage in one area. For example, if falling tree branch compromised the gutter in one section of the roofline, you could realistically expect to repair your gutter effectively.

• You notice one or two cracks or leaks in the gutter or downspout system.

• One or two gutters or downspouts is leaking, but can be fixed with added sealant or alignment.

Replace your gutters if:

• They’re detached from the roofline or each other. Most often, if gutters are detaching from themselves or the roof, it’s a sign of systemic gutter failure.

• Rust, cracks, and holes — for most gutter systems, if you can see rusting and decay, it means they’re simply too old or too worn to function properly.

• Sagging — If you notice gutters sagging anywhere this can also indicate complete system failure and will generally need replacing.

• Flooding — Whether it’s in your basement, driveway, sidewalk, or yard, standing water anywhere near your home can indicate gutter failure in one form or another.

More Signs it’s Time to Replace Gutters

Paint problems are a high-profile indicator that gutters are nearing the end of their useful life. Examine areas where you might be noticing fading or peeling paint along siding or the gutters themselves and chances are you’ll find a compromised gutter or downspout.

If you have seamless gutters and you notice any of these issues, or something has happened to compromise part of the gutter then it’s best to replace the entire system because of the way they’re constructed.

Gutters protect your home from costly maintenance and prevent the failure of everything from your roof to your foundation, so if you have any questions at all about whether yours are functioning properly, or if it’s time to replace them, contact our roofing and gutter professionals. Call 724-969-4145 or send us a message: info@gregorroofing.com