Blocked eavestroughs can become an expensive nightmare, especially on a high, steeply pitching roof. The problem may begin innocently with a large leaf or twig falling into the eavestrough. The next rain washes it into the downpipe where it jams between the sides.
More leaves and other debris follow. These compost and eventually form a solid plug. The gutter is now blocked, although not in the eavestrough itself. All this could have been prevented by installing a gutter guard along the top of it.
This can be a wise precaution if your home is among tall trees or your gutters are hard to reach. We discuss two options by our supplier Alu-Rex, beginning with their Gutter Clean System for installing over existing rain gutters
The Alu-Rex Gutter Clean System: Pros and Cons
It’s sometimes possible to retrofit the perforated strip on the top of existing eavestroughs. This resists debris and so keeps the rain and snowmelt flowing freely through the downpipes. Moreover, the weatherproof aluminum material cannot rust, crack, chip or warp. So all good in principle provided we are adding it to a solid base.
That’s often where the problem begins. We have to screw the perforated sheet onto the existing eavestrough, and the downward pressure can cause brackets to break if they are beyond their use-by-date. Furthermore, we have to first thoroughly clean the entire system, which regularly involves removing downpipes.
Roof flashing sometimes gets in the way making the task nearby impossible. If we can get past that point we face corners springing leaks, requiring resealing that adds more strain to an aging installation. For all these reasons we prefer not to supply the Gutter Clean leaf guard system (unless the job is extremely simple) because this is something we cannot always guarantee.
The T-Rex Continuous Hangar System
The continuous hangar system goes in during an eavestrough replacement project. This enables us to assemble the gutter and perforated strip before we lift them up and fit them. The outcome is a considerably strengthened system that’s reinforced from end to end. There are no weak points.
In fact Alu-Rex claims ‘It can even hold the weight of three people’ although we have not found it necessary to test this yet. However, we do agree the heavy gauge aluminum is even sturdier and more long-lasting than the gutter clean system we described earlier.
About Valiant Exteriors, Calgary Specialists
We work on everything related to the exterior of Calgary homes. We do new installations, repairs and maintenance to siding, eavestrough systems, gutters, fascias, and snow guards. We are small, family owned and family managed. We are driven by quality. Give us a call on 403 829 1661 if you need work done.
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