Gutter Repair

The conditions in Minnesota are brutal on gutters.  Heavy snows, ice and freeze-thaw cycles exert immense destructive force on every seam, joint and corner of our poor gutter systems here in Minneapolis.  Here are a few common gutter problems we repair in the Twin Cities.

Gutter Repairs in Minneapolis:

Top Six Gutter Problems

• Ice damage to gutters
• Gutters torn off by heavy snow and ice
• Leaking seams in gutters and downspouts
• Storm damaged gutters
• Tree damaged gutters
• Localized deterioration

It is sometimes quite affordable (and smart) to repair the gutters you have instead of replacing them.  For example, most aluminum gutters last 15-25 years.  If your gutters are 15 years old and they have a number of leaking seams, it probably makes sense to repair rather than replace.  Or, if your gutter system is really old and you just want to get it to limp by for another year or two a few temporary repairs can go a long way.

When Not to Repair Gutters Minneapolis:

If your gutter system if over fifteen years old and you are getting a new roof, it is advisable to get new gutters as the roof is being replaced.  Put simply, the time to integrate the two systems (roof and gutters) is when a new roof is happening.  Dealing with flashing problems, inadequate pitch, bad downspout locations, ugly color or other significant gutter problems is a real headache unless tackled at the time the roof is being replaced.  Kuhl Case Study #26 examines a case in Woodland (near Wayzata and Deephaven) where an inept/unscrupulous contractor installed a bad copper gutter system that we replaced less than two years later.  Those were gutters that did not make sense to repair, much to the sadness of our clients.

Gutters and Roof Leaks

Gutters can cause roof leaks.  It’s true.  Although if we were being picky we would say that gutters cause leaks  through eaves and eaves are not technically a part of your roof system.  Even so, check out Kuhl Case Study #14.  There is some good info on general causes of roof leaks in Minneapolis, including the role gutters sometimes play.