I need to replace the fascia board on the front of my house. 'I' meaning, I need to call someone who will do that. Attached (and I use that word very loosely) to this board is the gutter.
Who should I call? Gutter installers won't know anything about replacing that wood part, would they? I don't particularly need new gutters, so if I call a carpenter, do you think they would take off and replace the gutter?
Or do I need to call both a carpenter (? or who?) and a gutter installer.
I really need someone like that. I had a very bad experience with the last one I hired for a different job. I think that's what's holding me back from getting this taken care of. Thanks for the advice.
You just have to dive in, and find someone, and use him (or her - heck, I had a lady mason!) again if it works out well.
Start with recommendations from trusted friends, coworkers, and neighbors. If none are forthcoming from there, ask a local lumber yard. That's how I found my excellent GC. Didn't have anyone, needed new doors installed, went with the installation guy my local lumber yard/hardware store had on their list. I lucked out. But that's how it has to be sometimes.
A nice type of gutter is "seamless", which has not joints which will eventually leak. I would call the gutter guys and ask them if they will also do the fascia. From my experience as a roofing and siding mechanic in the past, so will and some won't.
You *might* be OK if you can find a good, reliable "Gutter Repair" contractor, but what you -really- need is someone who can size up such a job. Most of such critters can be described as "Hairy Beasts Of The Fifth Appendage", 'scuse my French.
For instance, if your fascia in back and on sides is not really solid, fiddling the front (only) *could* be a waste of time and $.
A truly good and honest estimator might tell you the same thing, but it's always better if you know "up front", and such estimators can be rare.
Gotta brother, boy friend or whatever with a ladder? :-)
Good Luck, Pudd>I got a million of 'em.
"Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens!" -Friedrich Schiller
That's what I have, I had them installed a long time ago. In retrospect I should have had the fascia board replaced then.
Wouldn't kill me to get new gutters, though the only thing about the ones I have now are that they are faded and are hanging off through no fault of their own.
I've had similar questions. I saw a sign for someplace called "Mr. Handyman"
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Below is the list of things they say they handle. Note it includes both fascia board and gutters, so presumably they could handle your job.
Has anyone here used them? I've got a bunch of little things that should be done that, like the OPs problem, seem to fall between the major professions, or that are just too small to justify calling someone out just for that one thing.
We just had fascia boards covered with aluminum on our condo. There is a small 1x1 or so strip at the top under the drip cap. The alum. was made to fit the shape of the surface and fit under the drip cap and the bottom of the fascia, covering old wood fascia entirely. I saw rolls of flat alum. on the truck so I think they had a way of extruding it to fit....I should have watched. I suspect a gutter or aluminum siding installer would do this. We tried for several years to get a carpenter to replace the wood fascia but couldn't find anyone young enough to do second story :o)
a.) Asking a "Hairy Beast" to buy materials, load truck, do a 4-12 hour job. b.) Asking a "Hairy Beast" to take 20 min., go up the ladder, size a job up, see what you really need.
Might wanna try this:
Pick the 6 most reputable-looking "Gutter Install and Repair" firms out the yellow pages.
Run all 6 against BBB. Call the 3 with the best records and offering free estimate.
Google "homeowner contracting" and read very carefully.
Walk the estimators around the house and determine which sounds the most knowledgable and honest. And hire 'em.
Luck, Puddin'
"Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens!" -Friedrich Schiller
Actually, I have considered that, though my house has wood siding. My neighbors did that. Of course, they would have to affix the fascia to the house, the problem is that it's separating from the house.
Heh. What I need is one of those teams from Designed to Sell, apparently all master carpenters who can do *anything*, and in a day or so, at that. They could re-tile my bathroom floor and install a new vanity while they were here.
Yes, they should. We did similar jobs for years. These days though, I dont know WHAT the gutter installers know how to do. Give 'em a call. Depending on how "bad" the wooden fascia board is, it may be possible to cover it with aluminum fascia covers. Either way, the gutters have to come off.
A local 'handyman' with a good reputation (ask around) might be the guy for this job.
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