gutters

Hi,

Just a quick question as I have never climbed high enough to find out for myself: how secure well do gutter clips clip the gutter? I would have thought they would hold it tight enough to keep the gutter in place when its windy but OTOH shouldn't there be enough slack to allow the gutter to expand/contract in the heat?

My gutter is beyond repair and I wondered how easy it would be to unclip it once I'm up there. Can I be lazy and use the old clips if the gutter is the same design as before? I was hoping to minimise my time at that height! I was wondering whether I could just slide the new gutter into place but somehow I doubt it will be that easy.

Thanks.

Reply to
Sam
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Wind blows gutters up/down.

Heat expansion is along the gutter.

If it's plastic it should probably click in with moderate values of brute force. If it's cast iron / steel / aluminium then it will probably be screwed together.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

Plastic? If so just rip it down and put new up. If its metal it may be worth fixing/reusing. Plastic tends to go brittle after a while.

Reply to
dennis

after you have replaced all the broken clip/brackets if the gutter has had it as it was possibly installed at the same time the clips are probably in the same state

Reply to
Kevin

I found clipping and unclipping plastic guttering at the top of a ladder quite tricky. It's really a 2-hand job, and the roof tiles sometimes get in the way. There's probably a knack to it which I haven't learned. It's much easier when done from a scaffold tower.

Plastic clips are very cheap so best to replace them if they're suspect. I recommend fitting the new clips with fairly chunky stainless steel screws. The old clips on my house were fitted with tiny mild-steel screws that had almost completely rusted away.

Reply to
Simon

I would strongly suggest a ladder stand-off, although if you have a really large facia overhang, that might not be enough.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

just read my reply and what a load of gibberish after you have replaced all the broken clip/brackets that is,as gutter was possibly installed at the same time the clips they probably in the same state

Reply to
Kevin

Here's a good tip: Blow the dust off your wallet and pay someone else to risk it. I get a local builder to do my roofwork, no way would I do it for what he charges.

It isn't the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop. Seriously, a chap at work was up a ladder just painting, off he fell and died.

Reply to
fred

Really - and your point is?

As a matter of interest, what caused the aforesaid "chap" to fall off his ladder?

Was it:

1 Overstretching 2 Ladder at too steep an angle 3 Ladder slipped across the wall 4 Ladder used on an uneven surface 5 Ladder used on a slope 6 Ladder used in high winds 7 Incompetence 8 Inexperience 9 Heart attack 10 Other - as applicable

Tell us please which one it was.... and I have deliberately left out the - Ladder not tied - as that would come under the heading of Incompetence.

Reply to
Unbeliever

i agree - one more little tug on the gutter and off you go- i have a safety rope off the chimney but i really dont know how to use it... and what if you paralyse yourself - is that worse? half of DIY accidents are falls- the pain in my back reminds me how lucky i was...

Reply to
George (dicegeorge)

Then new is not the best time in your life to start..

Very Very good advice

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Reply to
Mark

Don't even attempt the job without a ladder standoff. Much safer, much better stability, less risk of ladder sliding sideways.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

Immaterial really, accidents easily happen, the chap died. I'll bet he wishes he'd used his wallet.

Reply to
fred

Thanks. Don't worry your first reply made sense. I have phoned a few people to ask them for quotes but no-one seems interested in such small work. If I do DIY then I would hire a scaffold tower as I agree ladders could be dangerous. Do recommended any hire places?

Reply to
Sam

Have you tried the sort of companies that do fascias, soffits etc? We have a few, and they're not that expensive. I wouldn't hesitate to do gutters off a ladder in a 2 story house but the bits you buy never seem to fit what's up there, and it ends up a lot of faffing around.

Reply to
stuart noble

Me and my neighbor had our fascias and soffits done together, only cost £250 each including new gutters.

Its worth asking the neighbors if they want it done and trying to get a discount.

Its quite easy to push a tower around to next door and that saves a lot of assembly time.

Reply to
dennis

My house is almost 20 years old, needed to change a downpipe, same manufacturer, but not quite the same size - does not fit. So if you really want to re-use the clips check they fit before you pull the old ones down, and can't fit the new..........

Reply to
Chewbacca

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