Last year’s storm and hurricane season brought widespread damage to thousands of homes across the U.S.
While we can’t predict what kind of weather this year might bring, we can always prepare better. For homeowners, that means special attention should be paid to your home’s exterior.
Your home’s rainware and gutters play an important role in protecting your home from water damage, so you’ll want them in proper working order. You can hire a contractor to handle the installation of your rainware and gutters, but DIYers can also tackle the job with the right tools and strategies.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a professional to draw up a simple plan of your home.
You’re just looking for your home’s overall exterior dimensions here, which helps to plan downspouts more accurately. This also gives you a way to more accurately measure how many feet of gutter you’ll need to purchase.
A few notes on measuring:
Downspouts are the long tubes that carry water away from your gutter and home. Your home’s downspouts are a key component to keeping your exterior protected by effectively removing rainwater away from your home.
You’ll want to ensure all downspout areas are unobstructed and away from the home. The distance your downspout should be away from the house largely depends on your property’s slope. The larger the slope, the further away your downspout should be. If the area of discharge gets clogged, water can pool up and cause damage to your home’s foundation.
Make sure downspouts are on straight, vertical runs. You’ll want to install them so they don’t have to snake around windows, doors, or eaves. Straight lines look cleaner and also improve the efficiency of your downspouts.
Watch for any obstacles like electric meters or sidewalks. Plan out the location of your downspouts in inconspicuous areas if possible, like the side or back of your home’s exterior.
If you need to place them closer to the home’s front exterior, you can camouflage downspouts by matching their color to your exterior, or run them along your trim as shown here. You could also conceal downspouts with a trellis or creative landscaping.
Rent or borrow a miter saw if you need to cut downspouts.
The miter saw will make the cuts clean, straight, and can save time and frustration as you make your way around the downspout design. It can easily handle angled cuts for trickier curved sections of downspout.
It’s a good idea to plan out where the gutter seams are going to be. That’s where the measurements and rough sketch of your exterior will be especially helpful.
Plan out the design so there are as few seams as possible, as these segments are more prone to leaks and damage.
It’s much easier to assemble connections when you’re not hanging off the side of a 20 foot ladder.
You won’t be able to assemble every connection on the ground, but you can determine which areas will be the easiest and get those up first. Then assemble the trickier areas on the ground and complete the install.
A little bit of slope is all a gutter needs to direct water off your roof and into the downspouts.
However, if those slopes aren’t properly accounted for, you could be left with valleys in your gutter system that will pool water and clog the system.
A few tips on slopes:
If you are installing a gutter, you’ll want to add gutter aprons to further prevent dripping. A gutter apron can help protect your fascias from future rain damage and ensure all roof water makes its way into the gutters.
Once the gutters have been installed, insert the apron under the roofing material and over the gutter. The gutter apron will help direct water into the gutters.
Accidents while installing gutters and rainware are not uncommon, but being prepared and having the right equipment will help ensure your job goes smoothly.
Falls are the most common accident on a job site, so you’ll need a reliable ladder with rung locks.
You should handle a DIY project like this with a partner or two, especially if one of you is on a ladder.
Maintain a clear and organized workspace around your exterior. Know where your equipment and tools are, and keep any discarded materials in a designated area for easy pickup later on. Don’t leave tools or equipment on ladders that might fall off and injure whoever is working below.
If you’ve trimmed your gutter pieces, be sure to avoid sharp metal edges. Wear protective gloves to prevent cuts and scrapes when you’re working with metal.
“Gutters are one of those things where routine maintenance and inspecting them can really prevent bigger problems down the road,” says Jason Stutzman with Brothers Redevelopment.
An efficient, well-maintained rainware and gutter system goes a long way in protecting your home’s exterior. Keeping your gutters clear and regularly inspecting your exterior will ensure your home is ready for this (and next) year’s storm season.