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Hail damage in Colorado Springs is no surprise. In fact, El Paso County is in what Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association considers “hail alley,” which is the nation-wide pathway of the most damaging hail storms for the year. This season is predicted to last from April to September, and after the June hail storm in Fountain, it is very clear that we are right in the middle of it.
Roof hail damage is one of the highest claims after a historical storm like Fountain, or the storm in July of 2016. However, your roofing system is much more complex than just the shingles that protect your home. Your gutter system is also considered a part of your roof, which means that if you’ve received hail damage, it is likely that bo
th parts are damaged.
While your gutter system works hand-in-hand with your roof, it is not advisable to have roofers install gutters. Installing gutters is a craft learned over years, which Costa Gutter has acquired as a professional gutter company in Colorado Springs of over 20 years. When hail hits, and you need a new roof, it is VER
Y important that you consider your gutter system, because your roofer might not know what is best. Here’s what to look out for:
Do you have 4” Flanged Gutters?
4” Flanged Gutters, featured on the right of this post, were very common for older gutters systems on Colorado Springs’ homes. This type of gutter is attached straight onto the roof, tucked under your shingles. This can cause several problems if you need to replace or maintenance them, which is why they aren’t used anymore.
If roofers re-roof, and fail to remove the gutters before they place new drip edge and shingles on, 4” flanged gutters get “locked-on” onto your roof. They become trapped under shingles, which can be very costly in the future. If this happens to your home, the roofers may have to return to remove the first two rows of your brand new roof shingles, just to gain access to the gutters in order to remove them. They would then have to return again after the new gutters are installed and re-shingle. While we advise homeowners to request the roofers do this for no additional charge, since the error is theirs, it is still an added head
ache for you when you’re are already dealing with frustrating storm damage.
What to Tell Your Roofer:
First and foremost, you should always look to and hire local experts when you need replacement or repairs after hail. You should hire both a local roofing expert, and a local gutter expert, as this is the best way to help guarantee that each system is installed correctly.
Here are some things you should discuss with your roofer and do to help prevent you future frustrations:
Ask your ro
ofer to remove the 4” flanged gutters WHEN they strip the roof
Ask your roofer to remove ANY gutter system when they strip the roof
Even if you do not have 4” flanged gutter, the smartest, most economical time to remove gutters is when the roof is stripped. Consider asking your roofer to do this. What takes them minutes to remove, can take gutter people 1-3 man hours to remove. Doing this can save you money. They need not worry about the spouts, as Costa Gutter will remove and dispose of those for no charge, if you have the gutters pre-removed.
Remind them to watch out for the drip edge
If new drip edge and shingles get nailed onto the roof, and penetrate the flange/lip of the gutter, it becomes nearly impossible to remove/replace gutters without damaging the shingles. Experienced roofers should know better than to do this, but if it happens, the customer should make the roofer return and take the gutters off since it is their error.
Take care that the roofers ONLY remove what you are getting replaced
Say you are only replacing the gutters in the front of your home, you would tell them to leave the backside alone. The ONLY and VERY IMPORTANT exception is 4” flanged gutter, those should ALWAYS be removed when the roof is stripped. 4” flanged gutters, even if still in relatively decent condition, are near the end of their life cycle. Once they are locked on with new, independent drip edge and shingles,
they can never be re-pitched, a common maintenance item for gutters. Gutters that cannot be properly re-pitched hold water, over flow, and can cause residual damage to your fascia, siding, stucco, and can even lead to foundation damage and basement flooding. Then when it comes time to replace them, a few short years later, well after your roofer is done, the roofer may refuse to return to remove them for you for free, leaving you to foot the bill for a very costly removal. Some gutter companies are even refusing to remove locked on gutters, due to potential damage to your roof shingles and drip edge, not to mention how labor intensive it is. One locked on gutter system Costa Gutter removed required crow bars, hammers, drills and chisels, it took 10 man hours (2 men, 5 hours) to remove 2 40’ long gutters. The homeowner had to sign a waiver for the damage th
at was done to their roof and drip edge.
NEVER allow roofers to stack drip edge
You should NEVER install new, longer drip edge over shorter. The roofer will tell you that you cannot see it, so you will never know, but when the gutter guy comes along to slide your new gutters up behind your new drip edge, the top of the gutter is now obstructed by the old short drip edge that no one can see. This can prevent your gutters from being properly installed.
In summary, Costa Gutter’s advice, new drip edge should NEVER be installed on top of old drip edge or on top of 4" gutters.
Finally, be sure to secure any and all window wells, and others areas of concern, from getting water in them during your construction project.
~ When you hire Costa Gutter, with advanced notice from you, we will do our best to come in behind your roofer as quickly as possible. You can help this happen by giving us 2-4 weeks advance notice, and telling us the date
of your roof installation. You can also choose your gutter color ahead of time by viewing our selection online here. ~
Contact Costa Seamless Gutter Service
It is our number one recommendation that you hire experts in both roofing, and gutter. Leave the roofing to the roofers and the gutters to the gutter company. With active hail damage in our area, it is essential that your roofing system is done correctly—meaning both your gutters and your roof. The best way to guarantee that each job is done right, is to hire the professionals in each industry.
If you have any questions or want to schedule an estimate for gutter hail damage, contact Costa Seamless Gutter Service. We have been installing seamless gutter for two decades, which means we know exactly how to handle hail. We have an A+ BBB rating, and have received several Angie’s List awards. Contact us today!
Costa Seamless Gutter Service
719-683-3100
Serving Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security-Widefield, Fort Carson, Falcon, Peyton, and More.