Gutter Installation Mistakes to Avoid for New Homeowners
Congratulations on the purchase of your new home! Becoming a homeowner is one of the greatest investments that allows you to give your children a home to grow up in, decorate and make your own, and memories that will last a lifetime. Because purchasing a home is perhaps the greatest investment you’ll ever make, you’ll want to be wise with how you care for it.
There’s always a never-ending to-do list for homeowners: pressure wash the exterior, refresh the garden beds, treat the lawn, and so on. You’ll want to be careful how you care for your home to ensure it’ll last a lifetime and not have issues or damages that force you to make costly repairs or move.
Many home components require frequent maintenance and upkeep to keep them functioning their best, and your home gutters are one of them. To get the best out of your gutters and to protect your home from drainage issues, keep reading to learn some gutter installation makes to avoid for new homeowners.
1. Installing the Wrong Gutter Material
A common mistake for new homeowners is installing the wrong gutter material to save money. Though some gutter materials are more affordable, not all materials are a great option for homeowners in Central Virginia. There are a handful of gutter materials to choose from, and you’ll want to avoid a nightmarish mistake when selecting the wrong gutter material for your home.
Which gutter materials should you avoid? Though they seem appealing because they come with a lower price tag than other materials, never install vinyl/PVC gutters in Lynchburg and surrounding cities. For one, they are lightweight and lack the durability to support snow accumulation like we periodically get during winter.
Next, they aren’t built to withstand torrential downpours, making them a terrible choice for Lynchburg residents since we have a rainy season that spans months and dumps many inches of rainfall. Because they are lightweight and not durable, vinyl/PVC gutters are not a wise choice for homeowners in Central Virginia. Other gutter materials like copper and stainless steel are durable but require frequent maintenance.
Gutter material matters and is just as important of a decision as selecting the style and type of gutter system. To ensure your gutter system lasts many years, install one made from heavy-duty aluminum. If the gutter system is high quality, it’ll withstand high humidity, torrential downpours, snow accumulation, and strong winds, weather patterns we experience in Lynchburg.
2. Choosing Too-Small Downspouts
Located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lynchburg, Danville, Charlottesville, and surrounding cities have a beautiful scenic view of the mountain range, most often from their backyards. Though living near the mountains makes for a stunning backdrop, it also means we have many trees, some deciduous with debris that easily finds its way inside gutters.
Commonly found trees in Central Virginia, like dogwood, red maple, American beech, and pawpaws leave debris inside gutters when they shed their leaves, calkins, and flowers. Half-round gutters or gutter systems without a gutter guard easily clog when this debris accumulates inside the gutters, making it nearly impossible for the system to flush water through, often clogging the gutters and downspouts.
A common gutter installation mistake is installing too-small gutters and downspouts. Traditional gutter systems have downspouts that are 2”x3”, fine for homes in regions that don’t get heavy rainfall. With how often we get precipitation year-round here in Central Virginia, choosing oversized downspouts is the best option.
3. Hiring an Inexperienced/Non-Reputable Gutter Installation Company
If you haven’t ever dealt with an inexperienced, inaccurate contractor or installer, you probably have a friend, neighbor, or family member who has. It can be a nightmare when a home project goes wrong, especially if you hire a “professional” to do the work.
When it’s time to replace your gutter system or install one on a newer build, hire an experienced, reputable gutter installation company in Lynchburg. Before accepting a quote and paying for the installation, do some research to ensure they have excellent customer reviews. Scour the internet for social media reviews, Google reviews, and BBB ratings, and ask for proof of insurance, licensures, and warranty information.
4. A DIY Gutter Installation
There’s a reason why professional gutter installation companies exist; installing gutters requires expert training and experience. There’s much to learn when installing gutters, like gravity and slope, how to properly mount the gutters, how to cut the gutters to fit the home, how to install seamless gutters and more. Most often, a disaster is the result of a DIY gutter installation, like damaging the soffit and fascia, extensive roof damage, foundation damage, and even structural damage.
Some gutter systems are relatively easy to install, like a vinyl system, but again, vinyl gutters are a poor choice for homeowners in and around Lynchburg. They won’t protect your home from heavy rain or snowmelt, and they aren’t strong enough to hold up in strong wind gusts. You’ll pay more in the long run if you DIY a gutter installation instead of hiring a professional gutter installation company in Lynchburg.
Avoid Gutter Installation Mistakes with Gutter Solutions from K-Guard / One Stop Home Improvement Shop
If you want to install eco-friendly, heavy-duty aluminum gutters that eliminate the need to perform gutter maintenance, consider installing seamless gutters from the K-Guard / One Stop Home Improvement Shop. Our heavy-duty aluminum gutters and downspouts are oversized (3”x4” vs. 2”x3”) to allow for more rainfall and are built to withstand the most severe weather. Our Xtreme Mesh Gutter Guard is made from surgical-grade stainless steel, a durable material that will resist corrosion, even in Lynchburg’s humid and rainy climate.
The K-Guard System is a durable, complete system with multiple components that keep debris like leaves and pine needles out so water can flush through the system quickly. With its innovative curved hood and seamless design, K-Guard prevents all debris from entering the gutters, ensuring no clogs can form.
If your home needs gutters installed or you need to replace your existing gutters with an environmentally friendly option and want to wave goodbye to gutter cleaning, consider installing seamless gutters and guards or the K-Guard System from K-Guard / One Stop Home Improvement Shop. Our expert installation team has decades of experience, and we possess all the required insurance and licensures. We also have plenty of glowing reviews from thousands of satisfied customers!
We’ve been installing and repairing gutter systems for decades with thousands of happy customers in Lynchburg and surrounding areas. We can help with all your home improvement needs, whether you need help with an insurance claim or a quote for installing a new roof or gutter system. We’re here to help every step of the way throughout the entire process. Contact us today for a free estimate!
