How long do gutters last?

Seamless aluminium gutters on sound fascia with hidden hangers can go about twenty years. Sectional gutters on spikes usually fail sooner, at the joints and fasteners.

Why do my gutters overflow when they are clean?

The gutters or downspouts are too small for the roof area draining into them. Six-inch gutter with 3x4 downspouts moves substantially more water than five-inch with 2x3.

Do you need to replace the fascia with the gutters?

Only if it is soft. If water has been running behind the gutter and the fascia has rotted, it should be replaced first or the new gutter will not hold.

How Do You Know You Need New Gutters?

Short answer: Replace them when the problem is the gutter, not the debris. The signs: joints that leak again after resealing, gutters pulling away from the fascia or sagging between fasteners, water spilling over in heavy rain when the gutters are clear, splits and rust in the metal, stained or soft fascia behind the gutter, and water pooling or washing out soil at the foundation. Clean gutters that still overflow are undersized; sectional gutters leaking at the joints are near the end.

Signs the gutters themselves are done

Leaking joints. Sectional gutter is sealed at every joint, and the sealant is what fails. Joints that drip again after resealing mean the system is at end of life.

Pulling away or sagging. Spikes driven through the gutter work loose as the fascia expands and contracts. A sagging run holds standing water, which adds weight and pulls it further.

Overflow when clear. If clean gutters still spill over in heavy rain, the gutter or the downspout is too small for the roof area draining into it.

Splits, holes and rust. Patched metal keeps failing next to the patch.

Signs the damage has spread

Peeling paint or stains on the fascia and siding below the gutter, soft or rotted fascia boards, damp in the basement, and soil washed out or pooling along the foundation. These mean water has been getting behind or over the gutter for a while, and the fascia often needs replacing along with the gutter.

When cleaning is enough

If the gutters are seamless, sound and properly pitched, and the only problem is debris, they need cleaning, not replacing. Guards reduce cleaning under heavy trees but do not eliminate it, and a guard fitted over failing gutter only hides the problem.

What to replace them with

Seamless aluminium rolled on site in one piece per run; 6-inch where the roof is steep, a large area drains to one run or trees are close, with 3x4 downspouts; and hidden hangers screwed into the rafter tails rather than spikes. Get those right and a gutter is out of mind for twenty years. A typical house takes one day. See every gutter replacement option.

How we replace gutters

We photograph the gutters, fascia and rafter tails before quoting, replace soft fascia before new gutter goes up, and install seamless gutters across Maryland and Virginia.

MHIC #111971 in Maryland, Virginia Class A #2705183185, family-owned since 2005.

Get it looked at, free

We inspect across Maryland — Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, Anne Arundel, Frederick, Carroll and Baltimore counties. Free inspection, photo report within 24 hours, and the report is yours to keep whether or not you hire us.