Author Topic: Can One person DIY basic gutters?  (Read 701 times)

x02947

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Can One person DIY basic gutters?
« on: July 07, 2020, 08:54:19 AM »
Hi everyone,

Is it reasonable for one person to do a basic gutter replacement?  My gutter line is basically 4 “L’s” that add up to roughly 130 linear feet.  It’s a single story home, and I can get a second ladder to prop things up, but I would have to do the work by myself.  My longest single run is about 22 feet.  I’m not looking for anything fancy, just plain vinyl gutters that work. 

I’ve replaced downspouts before but never actual gutters.  I’d rate my “handyman skills” as either upper end of low, or lower end of moderate. 
Estimates from seamless gutter companies are coming in this week, so we’ll see what the price difference is- I priced out DIY at about $600 from Lowe's (including hangars, leaf guard, joiners, etc).

Thanks!

J Boogie

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Re: Can One person DIY basic gutters?
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2020, 09:25:58 AM »
Much easier with 2 but you can absolutely do by yourself.

You'll need to develop a good workholding process where you screw in some type of temporary hanging strap/hook to hold the other end of the gutter as you hang it.

Conversely, half round gutters can use brackets that support from the bottom which makes solo work much easier as you don't have to support the gutter as you fasten it.

Don't go vinyl. It will crack. I replaced some fragile vinyl downspouts and some sagging aluminum k style. I just had galvanized half rounds put in and I love how strong they are.

If you have a single story home I'd forget about the leaf guards and save your money to get higher quality material. Clearing your gutters will be nice and easy and very few leaf guards get universally good reviews - most contractors I talk to say they just make cleaning harder.

Half round might not match the style of your house but it is a great option for solo DIY.

Good luck!






YttriumNitrate

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Re: Can One person DIY basic gutters?
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2020, 09:45:26 AM »
I've added gutters myself (without a helper) to a shed and a cabin. It would be faster with two people, but it can be done by yourself. The biggest downside with DIY gutters is that you'll probably end up with a seam every 10 feet while pros might use longer sections, or make seemless gutters onsite.

x02947

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Re: Can One person DIY basic gutters?
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2020, 10:39:21 AM »
Conversely, half round gutters can use brackets that support from the bottom which makes solo work much easier as you don't have to support the gutter as you fasten it.

Don't go vinyl. It will crack. I replaced some fragile vinyl downspouts and some sagging aluminum k style. I just had galvanized half rounds put in and I love how strong they are.

If you have a single story home I'd forget about the leaf guards and save your money to get higher quality material. Clearing your gutters will be nice and easy and very few leaf guards get universally good reviews - most contractors I talk to say they just make cleaning harder.

Half round might not match the style of your house but it is a great option for solo DIY.

Good luck!

I currently have K-style aluminum, but am fine with half-round.  I don't personally see the differences of gutter styles between houses... I think color is much more important.  I didn't even know what style I had until specifically looked at it.  So if half round is easier, half round it is!

As far as vinyl, sometimes I struggle with the whole cheap vs frugal thing.  The optimist in me sees that they are rated for 150 F, etc and thinks it will be okay.  But if I'm going through the effort I might as well get quality, I guess. 

I've added gutters myself (without a helper) to a shed and a cabin. It would be faster with two people, but it can be done by yourself. The biggest downside with DIY gutters is that you'll probably end up with a seam every 10 feet while pros might use longer sections, or make seemless gutters onsite.

Yah, if I'm going to pay for a contractor, I'm going to get seamless and be done with it. 

Thanks y'all!

J Boogie

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Re: Can One person DIY basic gutters?
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2020, 11:34:32 AM »
Conversely, half round gutters can use brackets that support from the bottom which makes solo work much easier as you don't have to support the gutter as you fasten it.

Don't go vinyl. It will crack. I replaced some fragile vinyl downspouts and some sagging aluminum k style. I just had galvanized half rounds put in and I love how strong they are.

If you have a single story home I'd forget about the leaf guards and save your money to get higher quality material. Clearing your gutters will be nice and easy and very few leaf guards get universally good reviews - most contractors I talk to say they just make cleaning harder.

Half round might not match the style of your house but it is a great option for solo DIY.

Good luck!

I currently have K-style aluminum, but am fine with half-round.  I don't personally see the differences of gutter styles between houses... I think color is much more important.  I didn't even know what style I had until specifically looked at it.  So if half round is easier, half round it is!

As far as vinyl, sometimes I struggle with the whole cheap vs frugal thing.  The optimist in me sees that they are rated for 150 F, etc and thinks it will be okay.  But if I'm going through the effort I might as well get quality, I guess. 


Ok, I should be honest - half round can be pricey if you go with the special brackets and the more expensive materials. The half round gutters in vinyl that I've seen in the UK look pretty good and are pretty strong from the looks of it. So perhaps my vinyl judgment was too soon and vinyl half round could bring you the low cost, diy friendly option.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Can One person DIY basic gutters?
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2020, 01:44:48 PM »
I'm planning on DIY for two side of a garage (straight runs of ~10 ft and 20ft) and a back porch (straight run of under ~20ft) using the plastic gutters that snap together like a lego set from Home Depot. I watched the video on the site and looked at them in person and they seem REALLY easy to assemble and attach. I don't live in an area that gets freezing cold, so I think they'll work okay for my house.

The biggest issue is making sure you get them pitched correctly to ensure the water flows in the right direction. I had "professional" handyman screw up my gutters (they damaged them and had to replace during a siding fix) and they put them in completely wrong but you couldn't tell until it rained. They had them slanted so the water ran away from the downspout drain! 

If it was just me (no second person) the only issue would be getting the longer runs up there without bending them and holding them steady to install, but I could see nailing up a temporary loop of string or a bracket to act as a holder on one end while you adjust/attach the other if the second ladder idea doesn't work for you.

Fishindude

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Re: Can One person DIY basic gutters?
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2020, 02:48:02 PM »
You can certainly do it, but I'd get a helper to hold the loose end while you anchor the gutter in place.
Aluminum gutter damages pretty easily, so if you bend or twist it trying to handle everything yourself, the damage will show forever.

lthenderson

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Re: Can One person DIY basic gutters?
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2020, 03:49:20 PM »
If you do get it installed, don't go with leaf guard. Go with gutter guard. There is a big difference and I see it getting used interchangeably at times. Leaf Guard has a solid metal cover that relies on water adhesion properties to get the water into the gutter. Not only does it do poor in heavy rains but I see leaves still getting in and clogging gutters and now it is really difficult to clean them back out. Gutter guard on the other hand has a fine wire mesh cover over the top of the gutter. Leaves cannot get into the gutters with these. Sometimes you can get some shingle grit buildup in spots where water tends to slow down but this can easily be rinsed out with a garden hose and spray nozzle without removing the guard. 

x02947

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Re: Can One person DIY basic gutters?
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2020, 06:07:52 AM »
If you do get it installed, don't go with leaf guard. Go with gutter guard. There is a big difference and I see it getting used interchangeably at times. Leaf Guard has a solid metal cover that relies on water adhesion properties to get the water into the gutter. Not only does it do poor in heavy rains but I see leaves still getting in and clogging gutters and now it is really difficult to clean them back out. Gutter guard on the other hand has a fine wire mesh cover over the top of the gutter. Leaves cannot get into the gutters with these. Sometimes you can get some shingle grit buildup in spots where water tends to slow down but this can easily be rinsed out with a garden hose and spray nozzle without removing the guard. 

Thanks.  I used them interchangeably by accident :)  In my head I was wondering how effective the Leaf Guard was at heavy rains, and figured the mesh would be better.  We tend to get short but heavy rains. 

You can certainly do it, but I'd get a helper to hold the loose end while you anchor the gutter in place.
Aluminum gutter damages pretty easily, so if you bend or twist it trying to handle everything yourself, the damage will show forever.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get a helper, but DW isn't the DIY type on these types of things.