Gutters in St. Louis

Mature oaks across South County and the inner ring drop enough through autumn to decide the gutter-guard conversation for most of these houses. Under that kind of cover, guards turn an annual clean into an occasional one. On an open lot they rarely pay for themselves, and we will say which yours is.

Under heavy tree cover, yes — they turn an annual clean into an occasional one. On an open lot they rarely pay for themselves, and we will tell you that rather than sell them.

Sections pulling away from the fascia, rust or splits at the seams, water sheeting over the front in a downpour, or pooling at the foundation after it stops. Past about twenty years most systems are at the end of it.

Seamless, in almost every case. The run is rolled on site to the exact length, so the only joints are at corners and outlets — and joints are where gutters leak first.

Several leaking seams, gutters pulling off the fascia, corrosion, or standing water sitting in the run after rain all point to replacement. A single failed hanger or one split seam does not.

It follows the roof draining into it. Five-inch handles most homes; steep or large roof areas want six-inch and oversized downspouts, and undersizing that is why a system overflows in the heaviest rain it will ever see.

Yes, and it is the sensible order — new gutters go on after the roof so the drip edge and the flashing line up instead of being worked around.