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Need to replace gutters on my 110 y/o small Victorian frame home in a near western ‘burb to Chicago. Like the look of the old half-round style, NOT the K-style of today. Also, dormer pitched roofs necessitate ‘hanging’ the gutters from the roof, no facia to attach to. Like PLASTIMO brand vinyl, and “Classic Gutter Systems” stuff, but would like any suggestions from anyone with good results from a local installer in this area of Chgo… please?
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Bobby, If you get yiur gutter from Classic Guttertell them to ship it with American Freightway, C.F. ,or any one BUT Alvan. They will not deliver to your door. Theyrun the parcel to awarehouse then smash it onto someone elses truckto deliver to you , with only half of your address.Classic will replace the damaged goods,but why not ship it with a compitant carrier first.
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BobbyT - I also live in near west Chicago burbs - Oak Park to be exact - and installed Plastmo in 93 or 94 for similar reasons - mostly appearance. I'm quite pleased - but did it my self so don't have an installer to recommend. Contact me if you would like to look at them.
*A friend in the city of Rochester showed me how his neighbors new half-round gutters look very spiffy on the old colonial. However, he also showed me where, during heavy rains, the water shoots up out of the gutter and hits his house just above a window which has now caused leaking and pending litigation. In heavy rains "hardly anything comes out the downspout, but it looks like Niagara Falls in the yard!"I was really liking the copper ones for my house until I had this discussion.-Rob
*Bobby:In most of the restoration work I do, I use custom gutters. The price isn't that much more, and if this is your home, and historic, this is the way I would go.I would go to any local sheetmetal contractor. Most do gutters. Get galvinized 24 guage steel or thicker. You can but a 40' ladder on this baby and all it will do is scratch your ladder.If primed (use vinegar first) and painted inside and out, you will get 50 years out of them. No kidding.Custom gutters will also allow you to raise the outer lip of the gutter of the gutter to address Rob's problem. Actually, since you will mount them from the roof deck, the sheet metal contractor will put a 2-4" flange on the edge of the gutter and an angle which matches your roof pitch, and keeps the gutter edges level. Have him make up a mock up, get on the roof, and throw down five gallons of water, and see what it does.If you have a hight pitch roof, you may want to have the outside gutter edge 1/2" higher than the roof line. Again, 5 gals of water thown at it will tell.Another advantage of custom gutters are the fancy leaderheads. We order them out of a book, and on a historic home, they sure look neat.Anyway, one man's thoughts on the issue.
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Need to replace gutters on my 110 y/o small Victorian frame home in a near western 'burb to Chicago. Like the look of the old half-round style, NOT the K-style of today. Also, dormer pitched roofs necessitate 'hanging' the gutters from the roof, no facia to attach to. Like PLASTIMO brand vinyl, and "Classic Gutter Systems" stuff, but would like any suggestions from anyone with good results from a local installer in this area of Chgo... please?