The internet is a resourceful place to start DIY projects, and you might feel tempted to install your own rain gutters. However, rain gutter installation is a lot more serious and involved than crafts. Rain gutters force water to slide off your roof. Your home needs rain gutters, as gutters protect your roof, driveway, sidewalks, and the structure of your home. Rain gutters prevent soil erosion, so your flower beds will always be protected.
Every year, over 500,000 people suffer from ladder-related injuries according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. You might think you can take on rain gutter installation, but then you reach the top of your ladder and realize this job is not for you. To avoid becoming part of the scary statistic mentioned above, it’s best that you leave rain gutter installation to the experts. Here’s what can go wrong if you try installing rain gutters at home.
You might injure yourself
If you fall off your ladder while installing a gutter, it isn’t a question of if you’ll fracture a bone, it’s a question of how many bones you’ll fracture. Ladder falls result in bone fractures, and that’s the best-case scenario. Concussions are also a common possibility. You might end up paralyzed. As frightening as this sounds, ladder falls also result in death. If you end up injured as a result of installing your own gutters, the price of your medical bills will be exponentially higher than the cost of contracting an expert to install your gutters. This defeats the purpose of installing gutters on your own.
It’s not as easy as it looks
Gutter installation isn’t as accessible as you think. There’s a reason why the gutter installation is a profession of its own. You need adequate training and materials to successfully install gutters at home. Moreover, you’ll need to know how to detect problems with your gutters such as rotting fascia boards, water damage, or even roof shingle repair. Experts who install gutters on a day-to-day basis have an eye for these common gutter problems, whereas you might not. Not only is gutter installation difficult, but it’s also expensive. In between the costs of buying the gutters, hangers, a tall enough ladder, clips, downspouts, and adhesive, you’ll be spending more money. Professionals already own all these materials, and they purchase them wholesale. You’d have to buy each part individually, and the costs rack up fast. Realistically, you probably won’t even have space in your car to transport these goods back to your house because gutters usually come in ten-foot sections.
You’ll get what you paid for
The gutters that you find at your home improvement store will not be of the highest quality. These gutters are pliable, and they will easily be distorted. If your ladder rests on your gutter, the ladder will dent the gutter. A hard bump on your roofline will also harm your gutters. These difficulties will cause you to restart your gutter installation process over and over again. Many professional companies now offer the option of seamless gutters, which are modern and aesthetically pleasing. Gone are the days of fastening multiple gutter sections together.
You’ll hardly see anyone in your neighborhood install their own gutters, and for good reason. Save yourself the potential injuries and money by contacting M&M Gutters today. From Weber County to Utah County, our experts will work around your busy schedule.