Certain projects around a home are safe to do yourself and some should be left to the professionals for safety and expertise purposes. For example, many homeowners opt to repaint the interior of their homes, replace flooring, install appliances themselves, etc, while some jobs like repaving the patio, replacing the roof, and others should be left to the professionals.

Another home project that should be left to the professionals? Replacing the gutter system. It may sound like a simple task, but replacing a gutter system requires expert training to understand factors like slope, how the gutter aligns with the roof pitch, how to properly mount the gutter system to avoid voiding the roof’s warranty, and so on. 

Unfortunately, homeowners have attempted to DIY a gutter installation job, often resulting in major failed DIY projects that require a professional’s help to dismount their DIY and properly install a gutter system. If you’re on the fence about DIYing a gutter installation job, keep reading to learn some pros and cons, and why you should ultimately leave it to the professionals.

 

Pros of a DIY Gutter Installation

Though a gutter installation job should be left to the professionals, some homeowners are attracted to a handful of pros of a DIY gutter installation job:

 

Cost Savings

The most appealing thing about a DIY gutter installation is the cost savings. Unlike hiring a professional gutter installation company in Kansas City, a DIY job takes the homeowner and maybe their spouse or friend to help install a gutter system themselves. Therefore, labor costs vanish, resulting in a much cheaper gutter installation job, only needing to purchase materials. 

 

Flexibility

Homeowners choosing to DIY a gutter installation job are completely on their own, allowing them to select a gutter material, color, and size, offering flexibility to choose the perfect gutter system to complement their home. Some gutter materials are available online while others are readily available at home improvement stores, making the installation job timely and easy to grab yourself or with the click of a mouse.

 

That “I Did it Myself” Accomplishment

If you DIY hang the Christmas lights every year, don’t you feel proud, sometimes even boasting like Clark Griswold to your neighbors and friends that you have the best light display? The same goes for a DIY gutter installation job; you may feel that sense of accomplishment when you complete a DIY project. 

 

Cons of a DIY Gutter Installation

While installing gutters yourself can offer a handful of pros, the cons significantly outweigh the pros. Below is a list of cons of a DIY gutter installation:

 

Safety Risks

Whether you’re afraid of heights or not, a tall ladder is required with any gutter installation job. Depending on the type and style of the home or how many levels it has, a ladder extender might be needed, putting you at even more of a risk for injury. 

Along with scaling a tall ladder, there are other safety risks involved with a DIY gutter installation. You’ll need to dismantle the current gutter system, pull down pieces of sharp aluminum or plastic depending on the material, handle many sharp nails and screws, and safely dispose of the old gutter materials. Then you’ll need to climb up the ladder with heavy gutter pieces and materials, all while mounting it to the home. Tools can be dangerous, and heavy materials can throw off your balance.

 

Choosing the Wrong Materials

A major mistake homeowners who attempt a DIY gutter installation project is choosing the wrong materials. Gutters are available in a few materials: aluminum, copper, steel, and vinyl. A DIYer is often attracted to the price tag with vinyl gutters or lower-quality aluminum.

Vinyl gutters are a nightmare waiting to happen for any homeowner here in Kansas City. They aren’t a good option for anywhere, especially here in KC where we have a rainy season, high humidity levels, frequent severe thunderstorms, and winter weather. They can’t support the weight of heavy rain, snow, or ice, often tearing away from the home, resulting in other damage.

Low-quality aluminum gutters can’t support heavy snow accumulation or withstand severe weather that drops hail or brings strong winds. They’ll often tear away from the home, sag, or leak, especially if they’re not seamless gutters. Low-quality aluminum gutters come with an attractive price tag, yet they often corrode, leading to rusting gutters that become an eyesore, developing holes and other damage.

 

Improper Slope/Alignment

The most important parts of a gutter installation job are slope and alignment. Why? The slope determines how quickly the gutters catch water from the roof and carry it to the downspouts. Alignment matters because if the gutters aren’t aligned properly, water from the roof can drain behind or over the gutters, resulting in foundation damage and water damage.

Homeowners attempting a DIY gutter installation job often install gutters with an improper slope/alignment. It’s something that’s carefully taught to professionals and learned through years of installing residential gutter systems on various types of homes with multiple stories and roof pitches.

 

Inaccurate Measurements

While many people are great at math, the measurements needed to install an effective gutter system are difficult, requiring a professional’s expertise and years of training and handling gutter systems. From determining the slope of the gutter system, the roof’s pitch, and where to properly place the downspouts and gutters, there’s a lot to measure and calculate when installing a new gutter system.

Unfortunately, it’s easily miscalculated without years of training and experience. Where to place certain gutter system components and how to accurately measure them should be left to the professionals.

 

Inaccurate Mounting

You can’t have an effective gutter system that collects and carries water away from the home’s roof with inaccurate mounting. You also can’t keep a roof’s warranty if the gutter system is mounted improperly in a way that voids it. Unfortunately, DIY gutter installation jobs often result in inaccurate mounting, voiding the roof’s warranty, and making the homeowner responsible for roof repairs. Inaccurate mounting can also result in the system tearing away and damaging the soffit and fascia, roof, and home siding.

 

Hidden Issues

A DIY gutter installation can look good from the outside while having many issues hidden from the naked eye. It could appear like it’s mounted properly while the calculations were wrong, or the slope could be slightly off, an issue that goes unnoticed until rainfall or snowmelt. 

 

Why Choose Professional Gutter Installation?

Attempting a DIY gutter installation can result in injury, inaccurate installation, the wrong materials, and more. Therefore, choosing a professional gutter installation company to install your new gutter system is the best option for your safety, avoiding pitfalls in installation, and will save homeowners money in the long run. 

Professional gutter installers have extensive training and hands-on experience that ensures they’re safe on the job to install your new gutter system correctly and avoid drainage issues often associated with a DIY job.

 

Install K-Guard, the Premier Gutter System for All Home Types

If you want to avoid a DIY disaster by installing the most durable and effective gutter system with an investment protected like no other system on the market, contact K-Guard Heartland to install the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System. Our gutter product is a full system with a curved hood that keeps debris out of the gutters, ensuring you’ll never need to perform gutter maintenance again.

Why choose K-Guard? It’s the most durable and effective gutter system on the market, offering a sleek, seamless design that complements any home. Its performance is unmatched with oversized downspouts and gutters, made from heavy-duty aluminum that will never rust or experience chips in the paint. Our gutter guards save you money and give you peace of mind, protecting your home from water damage and drainage issues.

Contact K-Guard Heartland today for a free estimate with a detailed analysis of your current gutter system and estimated costs for installing K-Guard on your home. We look forward to helping you avoid a DIY disaster and equip your home with the most durable, effective, and attractive gutter system!