Anyone Know About Gutters?

[bj taylor]

sounds like someone needs to invent heated gutters. no snow or ice here - so no help

 

[Nyboy]

Talk about timing cleaning lady just called me,Hudson valley under flood watch, My backroom under water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[catjac1975]

OMG!!! Like lightening striking in the same place twice.

I have 4 acquaintances who have had ladder accidents with severe outcomes including a paraplegic. They were not that old when they had their accidents.

I am pleased as punch that at 76, DH chooses to stay off ladders. A brother-in-law fell off his roof - cleaning eaves last summer - and at 54 was dead 5 days later. DS did roofing until his tether broke and he fell. Broke his foot, lower leg, knee, and broke his jaw in 5 places. He was spitting out teeth for the next 3 days! He is, understandably, a bit leery about climbing ladders now. Nope! I used to roof with DH, but don't like getting too far from terra-firma anymore either.

 

[baymule]

Oh Nyboy, your house is flooding? Please keep us posted, you are in our prayers.

 

[Smart Red]

sounds like someone needs to invent heated gutters. no snow or ice here - so no help

Sounds like the perfect place for solar heating. Mount panel on the roof and let the sun melt the ice and snow from your gutter. Hum-m-m-m-m.

 

[Nyboy]

Red solar heated gutters would make you a very rich woman. Problem winter days here are very short, gray and overcasted. Found out while gutter parts are cheap, having someone do it is not. Next Tue they are being put on, hope that solves the problem, had a new patio put in, hoping thats not the reason. The patio man put in something called a french drain, I asked if a american drain would be cheaper, all I got was eyeroll.

 

[Smart Red]

Red solar heated gutters would make you a very rich woman. Problem winter days here are very short, gray and overcast. Found out while gutter parts are cheap, having someone do it is not. Next Tue they are being put on, hope that solves the problem, had a new patio put in, hoping thats not the reason. The patio man put in something called a French drain, I asked if an American drain would be cheaper, all I got was eyeroll.

Short, gray and overcast winter days here, too. BUT the days we have the most ice dam activity are on those sunny days when, despite the cold, the snow and ice will be melting.

As I said, we were lucky enough to talk the gutter guy into rolling out the gutters and letting DH and I install them. Saved a chunk, but that was 40 years ago. . . Still, DH and DS were able to take down, (I cleaned 'em) and re-install the gutters last summer after they put on a metal soffit. Reducing the amount of painting we need here. I'm the official painter and I'm all for eliminating the job where possible!

A few years ago that would have been called a "Freedom" Drain -- remember freedom fries? If installed properly, a French drain should make a big difference in moving water away from the foundation and into the ground. A good call there.

 

[Nyboy]

Todays forecast heavy rain and flash flooding!!!! I am in city today, country house is the one that flooded.

 

[ducks4you]

I watched "Ask This Old House" recently and they replaced a gutter on someone's one story house. You MUST have a grade (height) difference between one side of the gutter and where it empties into the downspout, or else the water might just sit there and will more easily overflow in a storm.
I'm betting that you could find this on Hulu, or just DVR it bc they replay episodes a LOT. I think there are only about a dozen NEW episodes of their shows/year, but there may be more.
They installed ALUMINUM gutters, and aluminum doesn't rust.

 

[Nyboy]

Ducks I am not very handy . I once rebuilt a bridge behind my house, when it failed a friend was in hospital for a week !