Clogged gutters, downspouts or drain lines are the most likely culprit of poorly functioning gutters systems. Inspecting and cleaning these components is always the best place to start. Once they are cleared they should be done Spring, Summer and Fall. This will insure the system will perform at it’s best and it’s the most economical way to go.
What are underground drains: They are a network of pipes that take the water from the bottom of the downspouts out into the street or an underground drainage system. If you don’t have gutter guards the debris in the gutters washes through the downspouts and into the drain pipes. This debris can accumulate in the pipes slowing down or stopping the flow of water. The result is overflowing at the base of the downspout and or the top of the downspout. Other problems that can occur are root infiltration or crushed pipe. A drain inspection allows us to recommend cleaning , repair or replacement.
Gutters and Downspouts: So often we hear that the gutters were cleaned but they still overflow. We find that just cleaning the gutters is not always the answer to the problem. Frequently debris have washed down into the downspouts and get caught on the S shaped elbows in which case need to be taken apart and cleared. Sometimes we find a build up in the downspouts from years of neglect and the downspouts freeze in the winter and split in the back. When clogged the weight of the gutters can be substantial and cause gutters to become loose and even fall off causing replacement costing thousands of dollars. Nine times out of ten a through cleaning of the gutters and downspouts alone does the trick. If not then the drains need inspected.
Clogged gutters, downspouts and drain lines can cause fascia and soffit damage, landscape and foundation damage, mold, warping, rot leading to extensive replacement bills.
It makes good sense to stay on top of cleaning them. Go to the online estimate form let us know what’s going on and we will email you an estimate.
Thank you!
Most people have trouble knowing when it’s time to replace their gutter system.
The National Homeowners Association has said; “Gutters have a life expectancy of more than 50 years if made of copper and for 20 years if made of aluminum or steel.”
But that’s if they have been maintained properly. Proper maintenance includes: being cleaned out several times a year, resealed corners and end caps every three to five years, hangers and spikes tightened every other year, downspouts cleared out several times a year and underground drains flushed out every other year. These time periods also don’t account for fallen tree limbs, wind damage or damage from ladders.
Most people don’t stay up on the maintenance of their gutters. So the suggested lifetime of a gutter system of 20 years could be cut in half depending on your maintenance diligence.
Here are some ways to tell you need new gutters:
1) Aluminum or steel gutters over 20 years old.
2) Haven’t been maintained very well and are over 10 to 15 years old.
3) Loose hangers / spikes coming out.
4) Sagging gutter sections.
5) Dripping corners or end caps.
6) Peeling paint at corners and on the soffit.
7) Landscape Erosion.
8) Mulch or dirt on the base of the walls from overflowing gutters.
9) Wet basement walls.
10) Incorrect slope of gutters.
When you decide to replace your gutters consider these changes:
1) Larger six inch gutters and three by four downspouts. This will increase the capacity by 40% for very little extra expense.
2) Good gutter covers. It’s a great idea to consider a good gutter cover so you don’t have to worry about keeping the gutters cleaned out. This also keeps the downspouts clear and keeps debris from washing down into the underground drain lines.
3) Drain line cleaning. This is a great time to clear out the underground drains. If you haven’t had gutter guards it’s likely there is all kinds of stuff that has washed down into those pipes and is likely stopping up or restricting the flow of water.
Get a free online estimate today for New Gutters, Gutter Covers and Drain Cleaning. Just click on the free estimate button and fill out the online form. It just takes a few minutes.
Spring is right around the corner. It’s time to schedule a gutter cleaning.
2018 fall weather change came late and many people’s trees didn’t drop their leaves until after the temperature fell below freezing. Now is your chance to get them cleaned out and flowing again.
Ice and snow this winter contribute to the problem, damaging gutters and causing over flow issues which cause fascia and soffit boards to rot. It also causes problems at the foundation. When water around the foundation and freezes it can crack foundations. Also decaying debris in the gutter invites carpenter ants and mosquitoes. It’s also very important to check the downspouts and clear them of any debris. If the downspouts are clogged the gutters will still overflow.
Cleaning gutters is dangerous dirty hard work, especially if you don’t have the right equipment and don’t normally do this kind of work. Doing the work yourself can lead to damaging the gutters and personal injury.
We also offer gutter covers, new gutter systems and underground drain cleaning and replacement.
We received the 2018 Angie’s list Super Service award. This is the fifth year in a row Gutterco has received this award. Thank you to all of our customers for allowing us to service your gutter and drain systems.
We cleaned an underground drain week for a very nice lady on the east side of Columbus.
She had reported, one of the corners of her basement was damp and that the ground where the downspouts met the underground drain pipe was eroded, and her mulch was constantly being washed away. She also said, she noticed water bubbling out of the drain pipes in these areas.
I suggested that she hire us to attempt to clean the underground drains. I sent her our standard drain cleaning estimate as follows:
-Clean Drains
Note- Because underground drain lines are not visible, cleaning them must be done through our process of elimination.
The process includes:
-Water Jet or snake the drain.
-If there are multiple angles in the pipe, our water jet or snake may not be able to navigate around those bends, so digging down to the angle in the pipe is required if this should occur.
-If there are collapsed sections of drain pipe, tree roots or thick mud, we will have to dig up these areas to clear out the blockage and repair the pipe.
Because of these unknown factors, underground drain cleaning must be done on an hourly basis.
Most jobs can be finished in two to four hours. If it looks like we will exceed four hours, we will discuss the options with you at that time.
We showed up to the job and started to water jet the underground drain line. The water jet made it in about 20 feet from the street and 20 feet from the downspout and could not make it any further. We did the same with the ¾ inch snake and came up with the same result. That told us, there were clog or collapsed pipe(s) and where it was located. At that point we had to start digging. Here is a picture of what we found.
A tree root had found a seam in the PVC pipe, and thousands of smaller roots sprouted and grew into a ten foot three-inch-thick sponge, completely stopping the pipe from draining. This probably occurred over many years, and she had no idea it was happening. She said her sump pump had been running frequently for years and she thought that was normal.
If your underground drain pipe is clogged, your gutters are basically worthless. In fact, they are causing more trouble because they are funneling all of the rain water to a few select overflowing pipes, concentrating the water from the entire roof to these few areas.
Have your gutters cleaned 2 to 4 times a year, depending on how many trees you have. Have your drain pipes checked to make sure they are clear, take care of any blockage, then every few years flush them out, and you won’t have the cost of extracting roots or worse yet, replacing pipes, and dealing with yard erosion and foundation damage.
We can help get your gutters ready!
Gutter Co is getting ready to start the 2017 season. We look forward to a great season of replacing, cleaning and repairing our customer’s gutters and drain issues. We are excited about getting back to our existing customers and meeting a lot of new customers as well.
Anytime after March is a good time to get your gutters cleaned and fasteners tightened. The winter season has caused problems with most gutters. Gutters need attention in order to get everything flowing freely. Clogged gutters and drains cause over flow which lead to loosening of gutters and wet fascia boards, which lead to rot and bugs, overflow of water, and damage to landscaping and basement walls.
The most important thing you can do is to make sure water is flowing. A gutter cleaning is a good place to start. After the gutters are cleaned it gives us the opportunity to inspect the gutters and make further recommendations, if any are needed. The same goes for your underground drain system. If you suspect the drains are sluggish, clogged or you just haven’t had them cleared in years, we can help with cleaning, repairs or replacement.
We also do gutter covers. There are a lot of different brands on the market and many different opinions on the internet. Consider our opinion. We have installed many different types and brands on the market. We have weeded out the bad options for you. We have no ties to any of the gutter cover companies. Our goal is the same as yours. We want one that works for you.
Customer response to our service has won Gutter Co the Angie’s List Super Service Award the last two years. It’s our goal to insure our customer satisfaction.
“Companies that can meet higher demands without missing a beat in their exemplary performance standards truly do stand apart from their peers,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “Only a fraction of the Gutter companies in Columbus were able to do it.”
Angie’s List Super Service Award 2016 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade. The SSA winners must also be in good standing with Angie’s List, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.
Call or email Mike at Lechler.Mike@gmail .com for all of your gutter needs.
A dry basement starts with good water drainage away from the house. The condition of the gutters, downspouts, and drains can make all the difference. Give us a call for a free estimate.
2014 has been a long cold winter. There has been a tremendous amount of snow and ice and the weight that has been on your gutters is more than they are designed to handle. While some damage is easy to see you should still have your gutters tuned up. The weight of the ice and snow loosen fasteners which causes a gap between the fascia board and the back of the gutter. This lets water flow behind the gutter and can cause fascia board and soffit framing damage. Call Mike @ 614-254-4349 to set up a tune up for your gutters. We will tighten all of the loose fasteners to help ensure they wont come detached during heavy storms.
Do your gutters look like this?
It has been a long hard winter and your gutters need a good look to be sure they are ready for the coming rains. We service gutters in Columbus and surrounding Central Ohio. We install quality seamless gutters, repair gutters, and offer gutter cleaning services. Make sure your gutters are up to the task of April’s showers. Contact GUTTERCO for your free estimate.
It has been a hard winter with lots of ice. Ice and snow damages gutters. Be sure and check all of the gutters around your house to make sure they are all intact and draining correctly. Be ready for April’s Showers!
If you are having any problems CALL US……
You know what makes this day special? It is gutter day. Every day is gutter day. What do you say? I think it may. Gutterman is here for a new gutterific gutter blog where we talk gutters and downspouts. I would like to point out that every day is gutter day. Thus everyday is a good day. This blog is going to be pretty much about gutters!
I’m going to talk about our gutter cleaning service. It has been serving the Central Ohio community for some time now and people are raving about it. It’s affordable and done fast, so why don’t you look into it by clicking gutter cleaning service. Check out the Gutter FAQ page too there is a lot of good info about gutters there don’t ya know. 500 words? Seriously, 500 words about gutter. I don’t know if it can be done but let’s keep going. Oh yeah, the Buckeyes beat Iowa last Saturday and tonight they will whoop up on some Nittany Lions. I was in the stadium last game but this time my uncle Joe and my cousin Michael are going to check it out. I hope they have a good time. Let me take a moment and apologize to my gutter fans who are Michigan fans. I am sorry you love a terrible team. I still want your business. Cool? Let’s move on.
Our seamless gutter system is the best in the world. We have been working with the same system since we started the company and myself many years before. GUTTERCO is your answer if you need new gutters. Trust me, we know gutters like the back of our hands. We love gutters. Just like we love the Buckeyes. We root for the Bucks but we install gutters and root for the customers! This is totally some gibberish because I cannot sit here and think of meaningful stuff to say about gutter. This is going to be the worst blog I have ever written and for that I apologize. There are just so many things you can say about gutter. It’s a thing that catches rain water and unfortunately nature’s debris as well as shingle wear. But we need the gutter systems to keep our homes from expensive water damage repairs. Well what else can I say? I’m a Saints fan. WHO DAT?! Yeah baby go Saints! Superbowl bound. Ok let’s see here, 100 words to go. That is insane. Who writes 500 words about gutter? ME! Okay I can do this let’s go. Gutters are necessary. Wait I already said that. Aha! Gutter repair is important to keep your investment’s life span as long as it can go. Don’t let the damage go. Call us for gutter repair or gutter cleaning. We have been busy this fall, which is wonderful but we want to get everyone in so don’t hesitate to call me or e-mail me. You can click gutter estimate for a free gutter estimate. That’s it 500 words baby. Who’s reading anyway? Let me know. See you later space cowboy.