Gutters

Does anyone have recommendations on gutter installation?

Check your e-mail…

Don’t! Our climate and gutters do not get along. If you have a doorway that rain drips on you, put a diverter on the roof and make sure the ground next to the house slops away. Most water that ends up in basements is ground water due to the ground sloping toward the house not away.

Here’s a few things that should be done in any freezing climate.

Ice and water shield properly installed at ALL eaves, saddles, and valleys.

Install the largest gutters and DOWNS you can

Don’t skimp on downs. More is much better and reduces ice dams

Make dang sure you ceiling is vapor sealed and insulated properly. A lot of ice dams are caused by air seal failures such as no caulking/sealing can lights and heat rising to your roof decking.

For more on best practices, check out the building science website. Awesome information on here.

http://www.buildingscience.com/search?SearchableText=ice+dams

Randy brings a lot of good points to the table very professional advice. But MSec also made the point of sloping the landscaping, a very good point and sometimes this will solve the gutter issue of needing gutters but noe always.

If you are not going to clean and snow rake the eaves then dont get gutters, maintaing the system is a must.

We treat a ton of ice dams, this year more than most years, and the biggest factor is not raking your eaves, as far as you can get, even if its only 3′. If raking is done, dams generally dont happen. If you dont rake, gutters WILL amplify the problem. Gutters are not bad, but there are changes in house keeping that should be made to complete and complement the system.

Get as big of gutters and downs as you can and got seamless. DO NOT have Gutter Helment installed if you are looking for the “leafless” system, this product actually screws through the shingles. If you want such a system use Leaf Guard. The product is seamless and one monolithic peice. Also for the same $ as GH you will get the gutter and downs. I am not affiliated with either, but when our clients want a “leafless: system I reccomend LG. -Mark

Quote:

---

For more on best practices, check out the building science website. Awesome information on here.

http://www.buildingscience.com/search?SearchableText=ice+dams

---

Thanks for the link Randy. This is a site with a lot of good information.

Quote:

---

Make dang sure you ceiling is vapor sealed and insulated properly. A lot of ice dams are caused by air seal failures such as no caulking/sealing can lights and heat rising to your roof decking.

---

And in addition, make sure the attic is properly vented. Trapped heat can also cause ice dams.

We need some, too Those POS, amatuer, plastic, cracked, leaky Menard’s specials are on their deathbed. I cannot believe they are still attached. I would rip them off today if I thought I could do it without seriously hurting myself. Come spring, new gutters are in store.

Thanks guys for all the advice and information!!

If you don’t plan to entirely remodel your house…Seemless gutters are nice! I had them installed and they work good (yes I live in Wisc). Get yourself a nice “shingle friendly” roof rake and your ice damn problems will be gone too.