Remove and rehang gutters?

[DGersic]

I have about 38’ of gutter that is not sloped, because whoever installed the gutters was an idiot. They’re basically flat, to slightly sloped the wrong way, so they never fully empty. I was poking around at the idea of rehanging them today, but ran in to a snag. In addition to the gutter hangers, easily removed, they’re also nailed to the fascia, under the drip edge. I’m now debating whether to leave them alone, or to cut the nails to rehang them.

I’m not sure if I can get an oscillating tool blade far up enough behind the gutter to hit the nails. Cutting them with a hacksaw blade with little room to work isn’t appealing either.

Would you rehang them? Or leave them?

 

[The Cobbler]

at the stage of life I'm at, I would leave them. 20 yrs ago I would have fought to get them down, probably effed them up . cursed, swore, ranted, and then bought new ones.

 

[WillyBoy]

Would it be possible to get cats paw nail puller into that area? If they hold water, eventually plants will start to grow there.
There's a house I drive past occasionally that has a hedge growing from the gutter at the front of the house.
Something that bugs me every time I look at it, gets attended to, eventually.

 

[Jbullfrog]

Call a gutter installer, they normally do repairs as well. If you haven't pulled gutter nails, from a ladder before, middle age is not the time to learn. It's easy to fall while prying.

 

[Old Moparz]

I have about 38’ of gutter that is not sloped, because whoever installed the gutters was an idiot. They’re basically flat, to slightly sloped the wrong way, so they never fully empty. I was poking around at the idea of rehanging them today, but ran in to a snag. In addition to the gutter hangers, easily removed, they’re also nailed to the fascia, under the drip edge. I’m now debating whether to leave them alone, or to cut the nails to rehang them.

I’m not sure if I can get an oscillating tool blade far up enough behind the gutter to hit the nails. Cutting them with a hacksaw blade with little room to work isn’t appealing either.

Would you rehang them? Or leave them?

It would probably annoy me enough to remove it & fix it, especially in climates that get snow & ice to avoid ice problems. It does sound like a headache to attempt getting under the drip edge without destroying it.

Is the entire gutter under the drip edge?

38' is pretty long. Is there a downspout on each end or just one?

Most longer gutters have one at each end so the high point is in the center of the gutter. If you only have one you may consider adding a second to get rid of the water & leave the gutter alone.

 

[Mr_fixit]

Mine had some aluminum nails, through the dripedge, they were pretty loose. easily pulled out My gutter spikes were also pretty loose. They loosen by themselves every winter when they get ice in them. or get blocked and fill with water. I just pulled a few out , and used some gutter screws and resloped 1/2 of the 50 plus foot long gutter run. Not easy, but not hard either. I cut in a second downspout to send water both ways. The cutting of the second outlet in the gutter was a real pain.

I wouldn't pull them off, completely , I would reslope a 10 foot section at a time.

 

[acer66]

If it does not overflow because of it I would leave it these days.

If I would do it I would use screws and install it level.

 

[DGersic]

It would probably annoy me enough to remove it & fix it, especially in climates that get snow & ice to avoid ice problems. It does sound like a headache to attempt getting under the drip edge without destroying it.

Is the entire gutter under the drip edge?

38' is pretty long. Is there a downspout on each end or just one?

Most longer gutters have one at each end so the high point is in the center of the gutter. If you only have one you may consider adding a second to get rid of the water & leave the gutter alone.

Yes, all under the drip edge. And, yes, pretty long. Over 40’ you’re supposed to have multiple downspouts. This wasn’t designed well.

Adding pictures for clarity.

 

[DGersic]

It was dark last night, so adding pictures here to illustrate.

Here’s the view from the front of the house, looking toward the back.



The area I’m looking at is from the downspout to the back corner, above the scaffolding. That’s roughly 38’ of gutter, and it drops from the downspout to the far end by about 1/4” to 3/8”. The downspout end of this run is dry, there’s 3/8” water in the gutter at the far end.

Looking from the back toward the front.



That 2’ jog in the wall is where the old house (front) joins the addition (back). The downspout here was probably fine when it only served the original house. There’s a similar one on the other side, and it’s fine. There was probably one that was in the middle of the old back of the house, before it was removed and the addition put on. They tied in this long new section of gutter to the old one.

Between my house and neighbors house is solid concrete driveway. There is no slope, and nowhere to drain water away from the house. Nowhere for it to go. The downspout there is dumping in to 4” PVC that runs to the city storm sewer, two houses away. I cannot add a downspout, there’s nowhere to drain it to without a lot of expensive concrete work.

The gutters are hung essentially level.



Or as reasonably close to level as can be shown with a bubble. They were just pushed up to the bottom of the roof edge, and nailed there, level.

Shingles, drip edge, and gutter.




Measuring up from the bottom, this nail is about where I’m pointing. Not exact, but close enough. Probing around with a putty knife, there’s a nail about every foot or so. Nails are all well hidden behind the drip edge.

Gutter hangers with screws hold up the front edge.

 

[jhelrey]

Your gutters look like mine. My idea was to add new brackets, slope the gutters correctly, etc. but learned quickly I could not.

I can't recall the name but there is a gutter system that is part drip edge/part gutter. The drip edge has a built in hooking system on the backside. The gutter has a built in hook on the flashing side. You push the gutter up the facia and behind the drip edge until it clicks in. With snow loads, they suggest brackets in addition. If memory serves, there was a 50# rating for so many feet without brackets.

In order to add proper brackets, I would have had to remove the gutters and remove/replace the drip edge. At this point, I said F it.

Simple test... Pull out on the drip edge lip. If you can't pull it out and bend it up to see behind it, you have the same system I do.

 

[Wolley]

If you want to take it down with out sacrificing the drip edge or destroying the gutter. Take a thin trim pry bar and put it between the back of the gutter and the facia near the nails to open up a small space. Then cut the nails with a sawzall.

 

[DGersic]

Would it be possible to get cats paw nail puller into that area? If they hold water, eventually plants will start to grow there.
There's a house I drive past occasionally that has a hedge growing from the gutter at the front of the house.
Something that bugs me every time I look at it, gets attended to, eventually.

I can’t think of a way to get a cat paw in there to pull them. Thats why I was thinking about cutting them, if I can get a blade back there behind the gutter.

No plants growing. I have screens that keep the seeds and most of the debris out.

 

[DGersic]

If it does not overflow because of it I would leave it these days.

If I would do it I would use screws and install it level.

It doesn’t overflow, it just doesn’t empty completely. Then it drips at the corners and end seams. Getting ready to paint the fascia, and thinking now is the time if I’m going to fix this.

 

[DGersic]

Your gutters look like mine. My idea was to add new brackets, slope the gutters correctly, etc. but learned quickly I could not.

I can't recall the name but there is a gutter system that is part drip edge/part gutter. The drip edge has a built in hooking system on the backside. The gutter has a built in hook on the flashing side. You push the gutter up the facia and behind the drip edge until it clicks in. With snow loads, they suggest brackets in addition. If memory serves, there was a 50# rating for so many feet without brackets.

In order to add proper brackets, I would have had to remove the gutters and remove/replace the drip edge. At this point, I said F it.

Simple test... Pull out on the drip edge lip. If you can't pull it out and bend it up to see behind it, you have the same system I do.

That’s interesting, I haven’t seen that system. I can wedge a finger in, between the gutter and drip edge, so I don’t think I have this.

 

[DGersic]

If you want to take it down with out sacrificing the drip edge or destroying the gutter. Take a thin trim pry bar and put it between the back of the gutter and the facia near the nails to open up a small space. Then cut the nails with a sawzall.

Sawzall, may work. I was thinking oscillating tool to cut. I can shove a putty knife in to make enough room to get a blade up there I think.

 

[jhelrey]

That’s interesting, I haven’t seen that system. I can wedge a finger in, between the gutter and drip edge, so I don’t think I have this.

Go to the end of line and look at it from the side.

 

[Youngandfree]

Can you just adjust a few hangers at a time?

It doesn’t overflow, it just doesn’t empty completely. Then it drips at the corners and end seams. Getting ready to paint the fascia, and thinking now is the time if I’m going to fix this.

Sounds like you need to put new sealant in the gutters.

 

[The Cobbler]

I wouldn't pull them off, completely , I would reslope a 10 foot section at a time.

Can you just adjust a few hangers at a time?

I don't know how you would adjust a few hangers at a time . it would be like adjusting the slope of a drain in your basement a few feet at a time.

 

[DGersic]

Can you just adjust a few hangers at a time?

Sounds like you need to put new sealant in the gutters.

I can pull all of the hangers. Doesn’t help. The back of the gutter is nailed to the fascia.

 

[coldh2o]

Only 3/8" of standing water, no plant growth and no overflowing? I'd re-caulk the joints and call it good.