Utah Gutter

Rain Gutters Salt Lake City Utah

Best of State 2019
9 Time Residential Contractor Winner
Phone: 801-803-6816

When to Upgrade Your Gutters

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Gutters are made to last, taking the most damaging part of the storm and protecting your home from damage to the foundation. After a number of years, your gutters may begin to wear, requiring an upgrade. This depends on the type of climate and weather environment you live in, the quality of your gutters, and whether or not they were properly installed. Watch your gutters to help you identify when it will be time to upgrade.

 

Maintenance

 

 

While there are some situations that cannot be helped, there are steps you can take to better keep your gutters in the best shape. Rain gutters that have been filled with leaves, dirt, trash, and other debris will do no good, causing water to flow off the sides of the home as they would even without the gutters. If you do not have a gutter topper, make sure to clean out the gutters of your home at least once a year. This will help prevent damage from being sustained, as well as keep them working better for longer. Make sure to be cautious while taking care of this task as an alarming number of accidents occur during the process. Never get on a ladder or up on the roof unless you have someone there with you to help in case of disaster.

 

Examine Your Gutters

 

 

Most gutters will last between 20 and 40 years depending on the care that is put into them. If your gutters fall within this time period, it is crucial to start checking them to ensure they are functioning properly. To do this it is important to:

 

  • Take a good look at the gutters from every angle. Look for rust of galvanized steel gutters, particularly on the bottom. Make sure there are no sections that have split or have started to sag.
  • Take another good look at the gutters while it is raining. Look and ensure they are doing their job, diverting the rain away from the foundation of your home. Here it is important to look for leaks, and ensure the water is flowing out of the downspout as it should.
  • If you do notice any problems during this time, evaluate them. Are these problems severe enough that new gutters will be necessary, or can they be fixed and made to last? There are some situations where the gutters can be fixed by do-it-yourself means, others will require much more work to get them to the shape they need to be in. Examine your gutters on a case by case basis to determine what will be needed.

Pay attention to your gutters, their effectiveness, and how soon they will need to be updated. By being aware of these things, your home will be better protected from storm damage no matter what comes your way.

Rain Gutter Aesthetics: Install a Rain Chain

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Improving the aesthetics of your rain gutters is a simple as installing a rain chain. These simple devices also serve a practical purpose of keeping water runoff away from accumulating at the foundation of your home. Rain chains come in many different styles and can even be constructed at home from materials like ceramic disks or metal cups. These chains improve the look and feel of your roof and gutter. Of course, the biggest benefits to improving the aesthetics of your roof and gutter is also being able to conserve and re-purpose water coming off your roof and through your gutters. Here is a look at some of the tops benefits of rain chains.

 

Redirects Runoff

 

 

Redirecting water runoff from the roof away from the foundation is important to protecting the foundation from damage due to water accumulation from heavy rains. In essence, the rain chain functions in place of the downspout to carry water off the roof and direct it away from the foundation. This alternative to the downspout is more decorative and easy to put together and install. This water runoff can then be directed to a vegetated or rocky landscaped area to further help manage and re-purpose water flow. Make sure the rain chain has enough clearance from where you attach it to the ground to effectively control runoff. Measure the area where you want to install the chain. Too high and the water will splash from the chain; too low and the water can pool out of the bottom of the chain.

 

Easy to Install

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The rain chain is typically installed from the opening where the downspout of the gutters is located. Installation is simple and straightforward since all that is required is removing the downspout and placing the top of the chain over the hole. Most rain chains come with a gutter attachment piece to place on top of the chain over the hole. This enables water to be directed freely into the chain. An installation kit can also be used to reduce the size of the hole and better direct water into the chain if the hole and the chain are not the same size. Many of these kits have outlet tubes that can be used to keep water from flowing on the underside of the gutters and dripping outside the chain after installation.

 

Stylish Gutters

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Once the chain is installed, there are a few options for what to do with the area at the bottom of the chain to further improve the aesthetic of the area. Incorporating stoneware or ceramic pots for the water to flow into can add a decorative flare to the chain. You can also construct a small square area at the base out of wood and fill it with rocks or plant vegetation to mitigate the water runoff. With the right kind of landscaping and decorative touches to the chain and surrounding area, you can vastly improve the aesthetics of the gutters and exterior corners of your home.

The History of the Rain Gutter

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Rain gutters are a part of an external plumbing system that was developed as a necessity of a way of draining water. The history of the rain gutter, surprisingly, goes all the way back to the Roman Empire. Like many modern luxuries of infrastructure that we routinely take for granted, plumbing and drainage systems were used by the Romans to facilitate clean water transfer and water removal. While no single person can be credited with inventing the rain gutter, as it was more of a collective invention based on necessity, there are a few historical details around the emergence of an external channel for water to run off a building. Here is a brief overview.

 

History in the Gutter

 

 

As early as AD 47, the Romans are credited with having brought drainage systems to the British Isles. This included sewer systems and water management practices. By 1066, the Normans had invaded England and began reconstructing towns and cities. In these new constructions, many large buildings featured grand stone roofs and parapets that led to gutter drains that ultimately spit runoff water out of a stone gargoyle’s mouth. This was a crude, though architecturally unique way of disposing of water.

 

Downpipes soon began to be built to keep the water from running down the sides of buildings and damaging finishes. During the Middle Ages, gutters were made out of wood, clay tile, and lead and were made easier to attach to roofs with the increased use of tile roofs to prevent fires. As the centuries went on, lead became readily available to many people and the fashioning of rainwater goods like gutters with lead increased.

 

By the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries, cast iron had largely replaced lead as a prefered material of rain gutters and other goods. This coincided with the explosion of heavy industry–and soon the industrial revolution–throughout Britain and elsewhere in Europe. These cast iron fixtures would be used for the next couple hundred years.

 

The Twentieth century saw the popularization of plastics for rain gutters and other fixtures. In the aftermath of World War II, manufacturing was burgeoning and the use of plastics was on the rise. This made plastic rain gutters and downpipes more widely available as they were cheaper to produce and install than heavy metal. Today, rain gutters come in a variety of lightweight materials and styles, but still retain the same beneficial properties of the earliest drainage systems of centuries past.

Micro Mesh Gutter Protection Leads to Problems for Homeowners

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All this rain has been ideal for our lawns, but less than helpful for the gutters of our homes. Many people go extended periods of time before realizing that their gutters are clogged, and by then damage might have already been done. There are many options out there when it comes to gutter protection, choosing the right one is critical.

 

Take the steps needed beforehand to protect your home from the hard rains, winds, and debris that have the potential to damage your gutters and as a result the foundation of your home. Rain Gutter Specialties can help fit your home with the best protection against the elements to keep your gutters functioning no matter what mother nature throws their way.

 

The Problem With Micro Mesh

 

 

One of the more common gutter guards currently on the market are the mesh filters that are designed to block debris from entering your gutter. While this may initially seem like the easiest solution, it will cause many problems over time. These products will start off seeming to work, but quickly give way to rust and corrosion.

 

While the companies that produce these products claim that nothing but water will get through the mesh, this isn’t necessarily true. It may keep out debris blown in the wind, but the aluminum and stainless steel the mesh is made from will begin to rust, leaking into your gutters. This will not only damage and reduce the effectiveness of the mesh, but your gutters as well. Stay away from these products as they will only cause you problems over time.

 

The Solution

 

 

Now that you know the dangers of metal mesh gutter protectors, what options do you have? For those who are looking to protect your gutters from the elements, gutter toppers are the best solution. These will truly protect your gutters without causing their own damage. It is the material along with the design that will keep your gutters safe from the elements around them, preventing lasting damage.

Look into the protection of your gutters from the outside elements, understanding the risks present. Mesh gutter guards are an ineffective and damaging way to keep debris away from your gutters. Instead opt for more sure and stable methods. This will save you greatly in the long run, reducing the need to replace the guards and eventually your gutters. Make sure this protection is looked to, taking care of your gutters in all seasons. Doing this will save you much of the trouble this spring and summer, cleaning out the winter’s debris from your gutters.