Install Your Own Seamless Gutters

Synopsis: Gutters are easy to take for granted, but they shoulder an important responsibility on a house: They collect rainfall and direct it away from the house, reducing the moisture load on siding and windows and protecting the basement from moisture intrusion. Contributing editor Mike Guertin says that you can install your own gutters, and he offers a straightforward procedure for tackling the project. He includes information on purchasing gutters and gutter parts, cutting the gutters, planning a gutter layout, and deciding when it&#;s OK to work alone (for gutter runs less than 20 ft.) and when it&#;s important to have a helper. 

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Magazine extra: To learn how curtain drains can protect your basement from groundwater, read Eric Nelson&#;s article &#;Keep Your Basement Dry With a Curtain Drain&#; from Fine Homebuilding issue #189 (Aug/Sept ), pp. 52-53.

A house needs a roof and siding to keep the furniture dry. A house also needs rain gutters to keep slabs, basements, and crawlspaces drier by directing water away from the structure. Gutters reduce the moisture load on siding, windows, and doors, which in turn increases the life span of exterior finishes.

If you need gutters and want to save money by installing them yourself, you can buy stock sizes. Ten-ft. lengths are common at home centers or lumberyards. However, I prefer to have gutters roll-formed on site into the exact lengths I need. This way, I don&#;t have to join several short lengths together. Splices have the potential to leak, and they take more time to hang than a single long gutter.

Gutter fabricators who roll on site arrive with coil stock and a forming machine that can roll out any length of gutter you want. They&#;ll also sell you the parts for the gutter system for your house; it&#;s a good idea to get everything you need from one source. Some companies sell gutters by the foot and discount for quantity orders, while others charge a base setup/delivery fee plus a per-foot price. (Figure on about $2 per running foot if you buy the parts; double that if you have someone else install them.)

I typically work with K-style gutters that have an ogee profile on the face that mimics traditional wood gutters, but the installation steps are common to other gutter styles, too. Have gutters cut a few inches longer than you need. The cutting shear on the roll-former sometimes puts a small kink near the end of the gutter, but this and other defects can be trimmed away when you cut the gutters to their final length. After that, the outlets and any miters can be attached, and you can hang the gutter sections.

Gutters not only drain water, but they also store it temporarily. A heavy rain can overwhelm even 3-in. by 4-in. downspouts, causing the gutter to overflow. For this reason, it is important to choose the right size (typically 5 in. or 6 in., measured across the top). Five-in. gutters hold about 1-1&#;4 gal. per ft., while 6-in. gutters hold about 2 gal. per ft.; obviously, the larger size can retain more water from a downpour until it can drain. (For more information on gutters, see &#;All About Rain Gutters&#; in FHB #125.)

Lengths and downspouts drive the layout

Planning the layout of gutters and downspouts helps you to avoid misplaced outlets and miscut gutter lengths. Begin by establishing downspout locations. Corner boards are the natural place for downspouts; they&#;re less obtrusive and are mounted more simply than over lap siding. On any longer length of gutter (20 ft. or more), two downspouts are always better than one. They can handle more water volume, and in the event that one clogs, the other can keep water moving.

In most cases, downspouts are easiest to mount to the same wall as the gutter. Sometimes, though, because of obstructions or other complications, it makes sense to extend the gutter beyond the corner and run the downspout on the adjacent wall. Where you decide to end the gutter is an aesthetic choice. I usually cut gutters even with the rake boards rather than leave them sticking out.

From Fine Homebuilding #198

Starting a new business isn&#;t hard&#;thousands upon thousands of people do it every year.  Every one of these new companies expects success.  Their owners certainly wouldn&#;t start with the intention of failing.  However, the Small Business Administration says that two years after startup, one-third of all new businesses are out of business.  At the five-year mark 56% of them are gone.

So, starting isn&#;t hard&#;succeeding is what is hard.  Before you start a business you need to decide that you are going to be part of that 44%, learn why and how they succeed, and take the necessary steps to be sure that your success happens.

A major reason many new businesses fail is unrealistic expectations about what the business will produce.  Their owners dream that they will &#;make a ton of money,&#; work fewer hours per week, and have to answer to no one (besides their customers).

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The important point is that thousands of people have started their own successful small businesses, enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle, supported their families, and given good jobs to the people who worked for them.  But, as the anvil salesman in The Music Man said, &#;You gotta know the territory.&#;

Do you know your territory and market?  You must know how to make and install quality seamless gutters.  You must know how to estimate and price your product in a competitive market.  You must be able to hire and supervise other people who will work for you.  You must be able to market your company and sell contractors or homeowners on buying your services.  You must be able to manage a business.

These are all things you can learn, if you are willing to work at it.  Often regional junior colleges offer courses specifically aimed at people who want to learn how to start and run their own business.

The seamless gutter industry is not a new technology just being introduced into the housing market.  It is a mature product with a mature market.  In virtually every region there are already people doing this kind of work.

How are you going to find a place for your company in the market?  How are you going to differentiate your company?  Lower prices (and lower profits), better quality, some specialized market niche?  What?  And how?

A common route is to acquire the necessary equipment and tools and set yourself up in business on a small scale.  A good way to start is to sit down, think about what you want to do, and develop a business plan.  This will force you to think about various business issues and make some very specific decisions instead of just having vague ideas in your head. These include:

• What is your business concept? What is the market you are going to try to serve? How will you structure your business? What is your strategy for success?  Who will do the marketing and the scheduling?  Who will do the work?  Will you work alone, or hire employees to assist with the work?  Who will pay the bills, keep the books, write the checks, and file the tax reports?  Who will handle these chores if you get sick or injured?
• What is the current marketplace, how big is it?  Who are the customers and your competition?  How much of the market do you think you can win?  How will you do it?
• How much money will it take?  What equipment do you have to buy (trucks, trailers, gutter machine, other machines, hand tools, handling equipment, office equipment, supplies, gutter coil, other inventory, etc.)?    How rapidly can you capture jobs and start earning income?  How rapidly can you grow your customer base and income? How will you pay yourself&#;and your employees&#;during the startup period?  Are your assumptions realistic?

Who do you see as your customers?  General contractors?  Roofing contractors?  Homeowners?  How are you going to make them aware of your company and get their business? How will you publicize your company?  Advertising, flyers, signs, radio, TV, direct contact selling? 

Realistically, it will take a while to capture business for your new company.   You must have the capital available to cover expenses (including your payroll and your own living expenses) during this ramp-up period.  If the housing industry is currently on the rise, and existing gutter production capacity in your area is unable to meet the growing demand, you may rapidly capture business and achieve a good cash flow.  What happens if the housing market slows down? How will it affect you?  You might want to ask your financial adviser to perform a sensitivity analysis to forecast how a downturn in the building market might affect your business income and your ability to pay the monthly bills.

You will need the help of a lawyer to determine the business structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation) and handle the legal issues of setting up the business. An accountant or tax adviser will be needed to help you make decisions regarding accounting procedures and the federal, state, and local tax issues.  What about Workmen&#;s Compensation and general business insurance?  What about licenses?

And then there is a finance company to obtain the loans required to support your purchase of equipment and your business operations during the startup period and beyond.  And, if you are married, you will undoubtedly need the strong support of your spouse.

Starting a business is a complex process, but thousands of other entrepreneurs have done it and are part of the 44% living a comfortable life running their own businesses and making their contribution to the economy of these United States.  Before you jump in, do your homework&#;but come on in, the water&#;s fine.

Author:

Mike Milliman

Mike is managing partner at Gutter Supply Inc. and has over 20 years of experience in the industry. His expertise and vast knowledge of the industry, along with his priority on customer service, has contributed to the continued success of Gutter Supply, it&#;s contractor customers and homeowner DIY&#;s. View all posts by Mike Milliman

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