Gutter Installation near you

Each material behaves differently under snow, summer sun and freeze–thaw cycles. Ask the installer which one they put up most often and why they recommend it for your house.

Seamless gutters are made on site by a machine that shapes a flat coil of aluminum or steel into one continuous trough, cut to the length of each run. The only joints are at the corners and outlets, which leaves fewer places for a leak to start and gives a cleaner line along the roof edge.

Sectional gutters come in pre-cut lengths joined with connectors and sealant. They suit sheds, garages and small repairs, and a damaged piece is easy to swap out, but every joint is a seal that will need attention after years of freezing and thawing. On a whole house, most homeowners are better served by seamless runs put up by a crew with its own forming machine.

An installer sizes a gutter system from the roof, not from the house. A large, steep roof sheds water faster than a small, gentle one, and a long run collecting water from two roof planes that meet in a valley needs more capacity than a short run under a single slope. Wider troughs and larger downspouts are common on big roofs and wherever heavy summer downpours overwhelm the standard sizes.

Downspout placement is where planning pays off most. The Government of Canada's flood-prevention advice suggests one downspout for every 6 m to 12 m (20 to 40 ft.) of eavestrough. The installer will also put them where the ground slopes away from the house and where the water won't cross a walkway that freezes in winter. Each run is pitched slightly toward its outlet so water doesn't sit in the trough.

A gutter that catches every drop is only doing half the job if the downspout empties at the foot of the wall. That water soaks the backfill, overloads the weeping tile and finds its way through cracks and window wells. The same Government of Canada guidance recommends sending downspout water at least 2 m (6 ft.) away from the foundations of your home and your neighbours', where possible, toward a lawn, garden bed or rain garden where it can soak in.

Where space is tight, as on many city lots and plexes, an installer can use hinged extensions that flip up for mowing, splash blocks, or a rain barrel whose overflow goes somewhere safe. Water should never be aimed at a neighbour's wall, a driveway that ices over or a set of stairs. If water still pools near the house once the gutters are up, the grading around the foundation may need a look as well.

Gutter guards, also called leaf guards, cover the trough so leaves, seeds and needles stay on top while water flows in. The Government of Canada recommends them to keep debris out. They earn their keep under large trees, but no guard makes a gutter system maintenance-free.

Replacing gutters doesn't usually call for a building permit, but check with your municipality, because where the water goes can be regulated. Downspouts connected to the sewer system are not allowed in some Canadian municipalities, and some offer programs that help homeowners disconnect them. The Government of Canada suggests checking with your local government and a roofing professional before deciding where your downspouts will drain.

In Quebec, a contractor who installs gutters for you should hold a Régie du bâtiment du Québec licence that covers the work. Look up the company in the RBQ registry before you sign, and make sure its name matches the one on the quote.