Questions to Ask a Contractor Before Buying Gutters

Because your gutter plays an important role in keeping your home safe from moisture damage, you need to make sure you’re getting the right option for your home. Before getting your new gutters, make sure you ask a contractor the following questions.

Ask What Type of Gutter They’ll Be Installing

Gutters can either be seamless or sectioned. In most cases, seamless gutters are preferable as they don’t have a lot of adjoined spaces that could spring a leak after a few years. If you have your own reasons for going for a sectioned gutter, feel free to ask about what options they have are available.

Ask About What Type of Seams Will Be Used

Even seamless gutters will have actual seams (located at the corners), so it’s important to know the pros and cons of each option. Roofing experts say box miter and strip miter are inexpensive, but custom hand-mitered seams are preferable because they tend to last longer than the first two options.

Ask About Nails or Screws

Gutters are secured to the fascia and rafters either by nails or screws. Nails are easier to install, but they have a smooth profile that causes them to pull out over time, causing the gutters to sag. If possible, ask for your gutters to be secured by screws, which have a better grip and are almost always made of stainless metal.

Who’s Going to Install My New Gutters?

Gutter systems have to be installed according to manufacturer’s specifications if you want them to function effectively. Because of this, we strongly recommend working with roofing experts that have received proper training and certification. Otherwise, you risk having your gutter’s performance compromised by mistakes in installation.

Get new gutters with help from our team. A1 Roofing & Construction is the leading roofing contractor in Newport, Providence and Tiverton, WA. You can call us  at (401) 265-1019 or fill out this contact form to request a quote.