A lot of deliberation goes into taking what is perhaps the biggest decision you can take when it comes to the upkeep of your house. Replacing your house’s roof is arguably the biggest home renovation job you can undertake.
Yes, replacing the roof doesn’t sound glamorous, and it usually doesn’t result in a new “look” of the house as other repair work. But just think of what would happen to your home if a part of the roof gives in? You can pretty much say bye-bye to almost everything in your house – your newly remodeled kitchen, your big flat screen tv, or your favorite rocking chair. As you can fathom, few things can be as disastrous as a failed roof. This makes keeping a keen eye on your roof and deciding on repairing/replacing it at the first sign of distress critical. Once you have decided that the roof repairs need to be prioritized, our focus automatically shifts to what else we should get done along with the roof. And the answer to that inevitably is “gutters”.
What is the Importance of Gutters?
Clean gutters play a very important role in water management around your house. They are responsible for collecting water from the roof and distributing it around your house evenly and as per your requirement. Gutters also go a long way in making sure there is no water logging on the roof. Rain is great but we know for a fact that standing water on the roof just means impending doom. Yes, gutters are essential especially if you are in an area that gets a lot of rain.
Cleaning your gutters from time to time is essential for the upkeep of your roof, the area around your house and the gutters, of course. As a thumb rule, all your gutters should be cleaned right before the rainy season commences. Rains and thunderstorms can clog the gutters with all kinds of debris. This ranges from dry leaves to rodents and birds.
Replacing Gutters While Replacing Your Roof
Now to the main question. We know how important maintenance of gutters is. So, should you consider replacing them when you are replacing your roof? There are solid points both in favour and again doing both these important home care activities at the same time.
Pros
Let us take a look at all the reasons you should consider replacing your gutters when you replace your roof:
1) Two Birds with One Stone
Any kind of home renovation project upends the life of everyone living in the house. So, for most people, it makes more sense to get more, tinier projects done during that process as well. Just so that you don’t need to upend things soon again. So if you are getting your gutters replaced while the roof is already being worked on, it is like killing two birds with one stone. This is efficient and time-saving in the long run.
2) Better Overall Look
The materials and look of modern gutters are completely different from how they looked back in the day. For example, you could upgrade to seamless gutters from your old gutters which have seams and where all the debris seems to collect after every rain. The modern gutters are also made of better materials that are not as prone to decay, damage and even rust.
3) Chances are It’s Time for the Change
Even if your roof and gutter aren’t connected, in most cases a roof upgrade means it is time for a gutter upgrade as well. Speak with your roofing expert and understand how much longer your gutters will last. If it’s not too long, consider getting both these jobs done together.
4) Easier for the Roofers to Do a More Efficient Job
Most roofing experts are also able to change your rain gutters. Getting both done at the same time makes the process easy for the roofers as well, even if there is no immediate connection between your roof and the gutter system.
Cons
But taking on both these mammoth home renovation tasks at the same time might not be the best idea for you in certain instances. Here are some reasons why its probably better to do it one step at a time:
1) Cost
Getting your roof replaced, while absolutely critical to the health of the house, costs quite a bit of money. Adding on the task of replacing gutters at the same time may not be a very financially viable decision to take. Make sure you look at your checking and your savings account before embarking on a dual home improvement project.
2) Increase in Time
More work means more expenses. But it also means more time. If you have a vacation or any other important event lined up soon, it is best to stick to the more critical home improvement projects, such as roof replacement. Home renovation projects are also notorious for taking a lot longer than expected and adding more work to the original job might stretch its duration to something you may not be comfortable with. Try and get a real assessment of the time needed for the project before you embark on it.
3) You Don’t Need to Gold Coast Gutter Install
Let us imagine that you have the money, and you have the time to get your gutters replaced while you are replacing your roof. It is then time to ask yourself: Do you have the need to replace gutters? Good gutters can last you a really, really long time. Depending on their material, gutters can give you anywhere between a solid 20 to 50 years. That is a long time! In fact, if you are one of those lucky ones to have copper gutters, those bad boys could give you 50 years, with the downspouts giving you almost 100 good years! Isn’t that amazing?
4) Systems Not Connected
In most cases, the roofing and the gutter systems aren’t connected. So there is no structural reason for both these home improvement jobs to take place at the same time. An experienced roofing expert will easily be able to replace your roof, leaving your gutter system untouched.
In Conclusion
So what do you think? Is worth the effort to get both your roof and gutters replaced at the same time? Or are you a more one thing-at-a-time sort of person? Contact an experienced gold coast gutter installer today to know which one of the options is better suited for your house.
