Can’t I Just Do It Myself? Or Find Someone on Kijiji?
Do you need new gutters, replacement gutters or gutter repairs in Vancouver or surrounding areas?
You’ve basically got three options:
- You could hire gutter professionals (that’s us, we’re biased, but we’ll make a good case why you should!)
- You could do it yourself (DIY); it could save you money, but it also has inherent risks
- Or you might be thinking to check out an online classified ad service for someone else to do it… middle option in terms of price, but even more risky
In this edition of the Gutter blog we’ll be talking about these three options for Vancouver gutter services – and the right choice to make.
Check out a Classified Ad Service?
With all respect to the Internet, consider whether someone posting in a classified ad service is necessarily the best choice for someone working on your home.
How would you know they are who they say they are? It’s not likely the Better Business Bureau has heard of them, and any glowing recommendations could just be #fakenews.
The best case scenario is that you’d get what you pay for. Someone charging less than market value is probably not a gutter professional but rather just a guy (or girl) with some gear.
The scenarios heading south from there to worst-case get pretty dicey:
- What if they get injured on your property, aren’t insured and end up suing you??
- What if they do a shoddy job and you don’t even get your money’s worth?
- What if they do further damage to your home and property?
We’ll revisit this after we look at the alternatives.
How About the DIY Route – After All You’re Kinda Handy, Right?
Fancy yourself a DIY kinda person?
You have a ladder and access to a home improvement store. You look at your roof-line and decide what needs to be done. (OK, you could probably rent a longer ladder)
The store has a couple of colours of plastic gutters, and a few colours of aluminum, all in ten-foot lengths, and lots of various bits and pieces to put them together.
Start adding up all the pieces you are going to need, and the retail prices. Don’t forget the hangers. And tools. And delivery. (Better bring a calculator … and a plan)
Now ask yourself:
- Do you have the know-how to do this job?
- The time?
- The safety training and safety equipment?
- The skill with cutting tools?
- A risk-taker mentality?
Don’t forget an equally capable, available and willing helper on the other end of that ladder… and accident insurance.
Now, what if this doesn’t go as planned? You could wind up with gutters that leak, overflow, come apart, or fall down (hopefully not along with you or the helper). Or, you could wind up with a number of bent, dented, and twisted aluminum gutters, and another trip to the store. Warranty? Not if you are the installer.
A risky choice? Perhaps better than the classified ad avenue, but only you can take the credit (or blame) for the result.
Hire a Gutter Pro?
Skilled professional gutter installers have the training & experience to safely work at heights and complete this job. They have the necessary equipment and can often manufacture continuous seamless gutters on-site, eliminating many joints that can be potential leaks or weak points.
The professionals can recommend the best layout to suit your roof-line, your gutter needs, and your drainage. They can offer vast choices of materials, colours, and even custom styles. Special accessories are available, such as leaf guards, strainers, and run-off pipes and pads.
With their experience, they can also spot any related issues, such as damage to the roof, eaves, soffits, fascia and trim, and signs of possible animal intrusion.
Hiring a gutter professional can ensure that the job is done correctly, from one end to the other. From end caps to mitered corners, drop outlets to downspouts, you will get a clean, smooth, watertight finish, on time and as quoted. The quality can be backed up by a warranty.
Now the choice should be clear: hiring a professional is the answer when you need something done right.
Contact us today to book your next Vancouver gutter repair, cleaning or installation. The pros at Complete Gutters are your trusted gutter team.