After the hail and through the seasons: keeping gutters working for years

Two habits that keep gutters working

Gutters last longest with two habits: a walk-around after every significant hail or windstorm, and a routine of cleaning and checking on a schedule. After a storm, look for dents, sagging runs, loose hangers and separated downspouts, and photograph anything you find before it is repaired. Through the year, clean unprotected gutters two to four times, check guards and downspouts at least once, and keep an eye on the fascia the gutters hang from. If storm damage is part of an insurance claim, document it first and talk to your agent.

At The Brothers that just do Gutters, much of our work after a storm season is gutters that were fine in March and quietly stopped working by June. Most of that is preventable. Here is the routine I would follow on my own house.

The walk-around after hail or high wind

Once the storm has passed and it is safe to be outside, walk all the way around the house. Start with the side the storm came from. You are looking for anything that changed: a dent pattern on the gutter face, a run that now dips in the middle, a downspout that has pulled apart at an elbow, or a section crushed by a falling limb.

Look inside the gutter if you can see it from a window or a low step, but stay off tall ladders and the roof. A heavy layer of shingle granules after a hailstorm can be a sign the roof took a hit, which is worth a roofer's attention. A roofer's guide to hail damage and how the roof claim works explains how that inspection is done.

• Dents or creases along the gutter face and downspouts
• Runs that sag, tilt or pull away from the fascia
• Hangers or brackets knocked loose
• Downspouts separated at elbows or bent at the bottom
• Sections crushed or pulled down by branches
• Piles of shingle granules at downspout outlets

Photograph and document before anything is fixed

If you think the damage may be part of an insurance claim, documentation comes first. The Texas Department of Insurance advises taking pictures and video of the damage, making a list of damage inside and outside the house, and not throwing away damaged items until your insurer says you can. It also advises filing a claim as soon as you can if hail or strong winds damaged your home.

TDI notes that a policy may pay for temporary repairs that keep weather out, so save every receipt. For gutters, that might mean reattaching a hanging section so it does not fall, or moving a crushed downspout away from a walkway. Whether a claim makes sense depends on your deductible and coverage, which is a conversation for your agent; a property and casualty agent such as Aaron Husman can walk you through how your policy handles wind and hail. I am a gutter contractor, not an insurance professional, so treat this as general information.

Hiring help after a storm without getting burned

After a big hailstorm, demand for every exterior trade spikes and crews you have never heard of start knocking on doors. TDI's advice is worth following to the letter: get more than one bid or repair estimate, check references and look for complaints with the Better Business Bureau, and never sign a contract that has blank spaces.

Two more points from the same guidance. Do not pay in full up front, and do not make the final payment until the work is done. And avoid any contractor who offers to waive your deductible; TDI states that waiving a homeowners deductible is illegal under state law. A legitimate company will give you a written estimate you can hand to your adjuster and will not pressure you to sign on the spot.

• More than one written estimate
• References and a complaint check
• No blank spaces in anything you sign
• No full payment up front, final payment only when the work is done
• No offers to waive or cover your deductible

Which storm damage actually needs replacing

Not every dent is a problem. Small cosmetic dents on the face of a gutter may not affect how it drains at all. What matters is whether the gutter still holds its shape and its slope. A run that has been bent out of pitch will hold standing water, a crease along the bottom can open into a leak, and a downspout that has been crushed will not carry water no matter how clean it is.

Many storm repairs are straightforward: re-pitching a run, re-securing hangers and elbows, and replacing damaged downspout sections are all part of our standard repair and maintenance work. When a whole side is dented and bent, or an older system was already near the end of its life, replacing the affected runs or the system often makes more sense. Your adjuster and your contractor should be looking at the same damage, so ask for a written estimate that describes it run by run.

A season-by-season routine

Unprotected gutters, new or old, should be cleaned two to four times a year, and cleanings are usually scheduled in spring and fall. Around Dallas the timing follows the trees and the storms, so here is how I would lay out the year.

The fall slot is the one people miss. The window for a fall cleaning is short, and schedules fill quickly once the leaves drop, so book it before you need it.

• Early spring: clear the gutters after the live oak catkins drop and before the heaviest storms
• Late spring and summer: walk the house after each major storm and check downspouts and hangers
• Fall: clean after the main leaf drop, and check that every downspout extension is still in place
• Winter: on a dry day, look at fasteners, seams and the fascia from the ground
• Every season: watch the house during one heavy rain and note any overflow

Guards still need a yearly look

If your gutters have guards, the routine gets much lighter, but it does not disappear. Our guards page notes that with guards installed, a yearly service may be enough instead of several cleanings a year. That yearly visit should check the guard surface for matted debris, confirm the guards are still seated, and clear the downspouts, elbows and joints, which still collect whatever fine material gets through.

Hail is a good reason to look sooner. A guard knocked loose or a frame bent by a falling branch can let debris in or send water over the edge. If you are still deciding whether guards are worth it, my guide to what gutter guards really do covers the trade-offs honestly.

Keep the wood behind the gutter healthy

The fascia board is what the gutter hangs from, and it is easy to forget because the gutter hides most of it. Our fascia page notes that with preventive care these boards can often last 20 to 30 years, and that paint or other finishes help limit water and UV damage. Under the Texas sun, a fascia board that has lost its paint is a board that has started to lose its protection.

Watch for the warning signs our fascia page lists: peeling paint, weak or crumbling wood, visible cracks, and gutters that have begun to sag. Catching soft wood early means a small section can be replaced and the gutter reattached, rather than a whole side of fascia and gutter at once. If water has been running behind the gutter for a while, it is also worth checking the drainage at ground level; my guide on Dallas storms, clay soil and downspout drainage explains what to look for.

Keep a one-page record of your gutters

A short record makes every future repair, claim and sale easier, and it takes ten minutes to start. Keep it with your other house papers or in a folder on your phone. When a storm damages one run, knowing the exact color name and size means the replacement section matches the rest. When an adjuster asks what the gutters looked like before the storm, a dated photo answers the question.

It also helps if you sell the house. Buyers and inspectors ask about the age and condition of the gutters, and a record of installation, cleanings and repairs is a far better answer than a guess.

• Installation date, gutter size and profile on each side
• Material and the exact color names for gutters and downspouts
• Guard type and the written warranty terms
• Dates of cleanings and any repairs, with who did them
• A set of dated photos of every side of the house, refreshed each spring

Doing it yourself, or handing it off

A single-story house with reachable gutters is a manageable job for many homeowners, and I explain how to do it safely in cleaning your own gutters and when to stop. Two-story homes, steep roofs and storm damage are where I would rather you call.

Our maintenance program is built for homeowners who would rather not think about it. A crew removes the debris from the property, cleans the gutters and every downspout, elbow and joint, sweeps the walks, decks, patios and driveway, and handles minor repairs on the spot, including re-pitching gutters, re-securing elbows and hangers and replacing up to 10 feet of damaged downspout. We send a reminder when the next cleaning is due. If a storm has just come through, or you want the system checked before the next one, get in touch and we will schedule a visit, usually within a few days.

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