Gutters: spikes vs. hangers and screws

[utsuxs]

Greetings everyone,

I am hoping to get a second opinion from gurus out there. I just replaced my gutters. My old gutters were held in by 'spikes'. That's what the contractor called them. Just to clarify these spikes are basically big long steel nails that pass through a collar. My new gutters were installed with these 'hangers' and screws. He told me that spikes were the old way of doing things and that the hangers were better. Is this true? My concern is snow. Despite the problems of my old gutters those spikes held up well against the weight of snow. Those 'bigger' spikes make me feel better than these little screws, which look like 3 inches. He told me the hangers will hold. This is what I like to ask. Will the hangers and those smaller screws do as good as a job holding up against the weight of snow as the spikes? Thank you

[krw]

The hangers are fine. They make the gutters easier to clean, too.

[Tony]

If they're the hidden hangers, they're still a pain to clean. Actually, they're wider than the spike & ferrule.

[Tony]

Hidden hangers are great, they won't come loose. Providing just like spike & ferrule, they go into a rafter tail, and not just the fascia.

[hrhofmann]

Old spikes were steel?? I thought everyone has used aluminum for years.

[mm]

That's what I call them too. That's what my friend Spike calls them.

Don't the screws point down, into the plywood roof? So that the snow weight is perpendicular to the line of the screw? Maybe I'm confused about this.

On the south side of my house, my spikes lasted 20+ years but then I had to replace them with gutter screws, just a little bigger than the spikes, because of the screw threads. Go into the same holes.

BTW, you're probably okay here plus you learned something, I hope. It should have been clear in the bid and in the contract what kind of method would be used to hang the gutters. I know, you assumed it would be the same as was there before. I would too. But it's not the right way to behave. You should know in advance exactly what you're getting, so you could have asked about this in advance.

Once I needed a new muffler and the gas station called me at work to talk about it. He said a muffler would cost so much and a pipe so much, and maybe other stuff, but he never said resonator -- I forgot or assumed he woudl use the old resonator (even though no one ever uses old exhaust parts) and when I got there, I had no resonator. He said it might be in the trash, but it wasn't. He said I don't need no resonator, but I disagree. He's going to want money for the part and a different pipe, and more money for labor to do it now, plus I'll have an extra pipe I have no use for. So I figured I would grin and bear it until the next car. I learned the lesson then that you should learn now. Not that I've applied the lesson yet. Mostly I avoid buying things.

[utsuxs]

Maybe they were aluminum. I have no idea what the spikes were made of. I just thought it was steel.

[aemeijers]

Depends on the brackets they use. Around here, gutters go up after shingles, so nobody is real keen on prying up the bottom course of shingles to nail things. Brackets screw to fascia board. Lifespan and grip of screws versus spikes has many variables- species and condition of wood used for rafters and fascia board, weather anomalies, diameter/length/surface of screws or spikes, proper installation, etc. I've seen old spiked gutters last 50 years before they let go, and installs on old houses into mushy wood that fell down in a year.

[PHILIPWOLF]

I replaced my gutters with screw brackets and they are holding up better than the gutters. We get our gutters filled with ice every year and they stay up. Just make sure that they are set in the rafters. Also I got the heavier brackets that screw in from the inside and uses heavy aluminum for the body. The screws are angled downwards so the weight theoretically pushes down when the gutters are in use.

phil

[trader4]

I've had trouble with the spike type pulling out on two sections. I've driven them back in, but after a couple months, they work out again. Even tried putting some glue on the end first, didn't help. So, I'd be going with the screw type if I had a choice.

[Peter]

My old gutters were attached with screws. When they needed to be removed to stop water leakage from an ice dam last winter, it was a hellacious job to get access to the screws without destroying the fascia board because the gutters were solidly filled and encased with ice. With spikes, a little crowbar action would have done the job in a few minutes. I never have had a spiked gutter come loose due to heavy snow.

[krw]

the hangers I've used leave the gutters free of obstructions (they wrap around the bottom and inside). The spike and ferrule get in the way when cleaning leaves out of the gutter.

[krw]

I've never seen that style. I certainly wouldn't use anything that penetrated the decking. The one's I've used screw into the fascia. I used a 2x6 fascia, so there was *plenty* of wood to anchor the things. The flimsy gutter will be long gone before the screws pull out.

[clare]

Steel spikes on galvanized trough, aluminum on aluminum trough. Galvanized is geting RARE.

[mm]

This whole thread is confusing because I can't tell anymore, about the two kinds of screws, who all is talking about which kind. Guttter spikes, the big nail, are the ones the OP had. Then he got gutters with hangers and screws.

Since he calls these screws little, I presume they are smaller than the spikes. But there are also gutter screws, the same size as spikes, bigger if you count the thread, that go in the same spot the spikes go.

[utsuxs]

the big nail, are the ones the OP had. Then he gotgutters

if you count the thread, that go in the same spot thespikesgo.

The screws were smaller. 3inches or so. The spikes were thicker and longer, I say 6 to 7 inches long. Hope that helps.

[mm]

the big nail, are the ones the OP had. Then he gotgutters

if you count the thread, that go in the same spot thespikesgo.

Yes it does. I expect my gutters will start sagging in a few years, if not tomorrow.

[hrroofingmass]

The old spike & ferrule style is nowhere near as effective an a "screwed in" hangar. The "spike" is basically a giant nail that is far inferior to the system that it sound like your contractor recommended. You were advised properly. Best of luck.

[Thoughts]

replying to utsuxs, Thoughts wrote: If anyone has any spike and ferrule (collar) old parts, please contact me at [e-mail] We need a few ferrules (collars) to reproduce parts. Thanks

2/16/2017

[ItsJoanNotJoann]

Six year old post you are replying to dearie.