About Replacing Old Gutters
Cleaning out your gutters at least twice a year will usually keep it in proper functioning condition. However, rain gutters can be damaged by rough weather and buildups of debris. The age of the gutter system also contributes to it needing to be replaced. Having the right tools, an extra set of hands and the right instructions will help make replacing all or part of your gutter system much easier.
You Will Need:
Tools
- Ladder
- Hammer
- Pry bar
- Hacksaw
- Clamp
- Carpenter's pencil
- Carpenter's square
- Garden trowels
- Circular saw
- Power drill with bit and nut attachments
Supplies
- Fascia board
- Gutters
- Gutter end caps
- Gutter clips
- Elbow joints
- Flexible downspout
- 7" gutter screws
- 7' gutter spikes
- 3" galvanized screws
- Seam sealer
- Silicon caulk
- Block of wood
- Safety goggles
- Leather work gloves
- Remove any debris in the gutters using a garden trowel and place a block of wood inside of it to prevent it from being crushed. This is especially important if you are only replacing a section of your home's gutter system.
- Pry out the old gutter spikes and remove the fascia boards behind it with a hammer and pry bar. Chances are if the gutters are damaged, so is the fascia board so it will also need replacing. Keep the old boards so that you can use them as templates for the new fascia.
- Using a circular saw and the old fascia board as a template, cut new boards. To make joining the boards simpler, cut the ends at a 45-degree angle.
- Measure and mark the length of your new gutters and then cut them to size using a hacksaw.
- Connect each gutter end cap to a downspout and use gutter clips to hold it together.
- Put silicone caulk on the elbow joints and put them together. Place them aside to allow time for them to completely dry.
Fasten the new fascia boards using galvanized deck screws that are placed about a foot apart and then take one of the larger sections of gutter and attach it using gutter clips and screws. The new section of gutter should have a slight downward incline. - Join together the rest of the sections of gutter, secure the seams and fasten them with gutter clips. Run a line of gutter seam sealer along the joints on the side of the sections of gutter.
- Make 1/4" holes with a drill. The holes should go completely through the lip of the gutter.
- Put 7" gutter spikes through the holes, sheaths and fascia board. Make sure that they are securely fastened.
- Take each elbow joint and connect it to a downspout. The joints should fit right inside of the downspout, but will need to be sealed using gutter sealant.
- Use brackets to fasten the downspouts to the wall.