Gutters are a critical component of a home’s drainage system, and like many exterior features, they’re subject to wear and damage. An important item on your spring maintenance checklist should be to examine and clean out the gutters. Regular cleaning and maintenance will go a long way toward getting the maximum lifespan out of your gutters.

If, however, your gutters are showing signs of severe wear—cracks, holes, and leaks, for example—or if they’re sagging or pulling away from the house or have numerous missing, loose, or bent fasteners, it may be time to look into replacement gutters. Experts like Gutter Boyz of Kentucky often point out that water damage to the roof, fascia board, decking, or rafters is a sure sign that gutters are due for replacement. Most ordinary gutters last about 10 to 15 years.  Dangerous water leaks and overflows can cause tremendous damage to a home, sometimes before homeowners are even aware of the problem.

There are many types and styles of gutters on the market today, with the primary materials being aluminum, copper, steel, galvanized steel, zinc, and vinyl. At Gutter Boyz of Kentucky, we primarily utilize aluminum for our seamless gutter systems.  Aluminum is the most prevalent gutter material and offers several advantages over other types. Aluminum is lightweight, resistant to corrosion, and available in a wide range of colors—and it’s also often the least expensive option. Aluminum gutters offer the best combination of style, durability, and price.

When the time comes for you to replace the gutters on your home or business, give us a call at Gutter Boyz of Kentucky.  We will be happy to discuss all of the options available to you.  For a FREE estimate, give Gutter Boyz of Kentucky a call at (270) 906-3055.  With offices in Paducah and Benton, KY, we serve all of Western Kentucky with the highest quality gutters available.

There are a lot of things to like about spring: mild weather, beautiful blooms, longer days and outdoor gatherings. On the other side of the coin, however, spring also brings allergy flare-ups, abundant rain and gutter problems. While there’s not much you can do about allergens or rainfall, you can address the gutter issues that go hand-in-hand with spring. Here are five of the most common ones.

Problem #1: Damaged Gutters

Gutter sections that have cracked or separated from the fascia or each other due to the weight of winter ice or snow.

Solution: Separated gutters often require nothing more than a few fresh screws to reattach them to each other or the fascia of your home. Small cracks can be sealed temporarily using a waterproof caulk or sealant, but if your gutters have large cracks or are otherwise too damaged to be reattached, you’re better off replacing the gutter section entirely.  That’s when it’s time to give us a call at Gutter Boyz of Kentucky.

Problem #2: Clogged Gutters

Gutters that are full of pine needles, twigs, leaves and other tree debris that have either fallen from overhanging branches or been washed into the gutters by spring rains.

Solution: It’s not rocket science … It’s time to clean out the gutters! If the debris is dry, you can either use a leaf blower or an outdoor vacuum to blow or suck everything out. Packed-in or wet debris may require the old tried-and-true (albeit dirty) method of scooping it out by hand. If this chore is too off-putting or cumbersome for you, call Gutter Boyz of Kentucky with offices in Paducah, KY and Benton, KY.  We will clean your gutters out for you at a reasonable price. To prevent clogs in the future, consider installing gutter guards to keep out debris and eliminate gutter blockage.

Problem #3: Clogged Downspouts

Downspouts that have been clogged by gutter debris.

Solution: Unclogging downspouts is an important part of any gutter cleaning job. Start by feeding a garden hose up into the bottom opening and spraying water upward to free up any low clogs. You might also need to do the same from the downspouts’ upper opening. For stubborn clogs, a plumber’s snake can be fed downward from the top; this will usually break them up enough that they can then be flushed out.  Don’t have the time or energy to do this?  Don’t worry.  Gutter Boyz of Kentucky is here to help.

Problem #4: Bent Gutters

Bent, buckled or separated gutters that have been damaged by tree limbs dislodged from overhanging trees by heavy winds or rain (or even a late snowstorm).

Solution: Give us a call at Gutter Boyz of Kentucky.   We can repair gutter damage and help protect your home with proper drainage.  To prevent this from happening in the future, cut back overhanging tree limbs to about three feet beyond the roofline – or have a tree-trimmer take care of this for you.

Problem #5: Animal Problems

Pesky critters like squirrels, rodents, possums, birds, bugs and even snakes taking up residence in your gutters.

Solution: For insects, spiders or worms, a good gutter cleaning will usually take care of the problem; just be sure to drain or soak up any standing water, which can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Gutters are also a favorite place for birds to build their nests, which may need to be gently relocated. As for larger creatures, if the destruction of their habitat doesn’t scare them away, live traps on the roof might be necessary. Avoid placing poisons in your gutters that could get washed into the yard and into the sewer system during storms.  Need someone with experience to help you take care of these issues?  Give us a call at Gutter Boyz of Kentucky. 

No matter how good your gutters may be, they’re not going to perform to their full potential if they’re clogged or damaged. To take advantage of the best gutter products and services for your home, give Gutter Boyz of Kentucky a call today at (270) 906-3055. 

A problem with how your home drains away water can turn into a major expense, unless you recognize and tackle the problem right away.  Gutter Boyz of Kentucky  with offices in Paducah and Benton,  is here to help you prevent water damage to your home for business.

Water can definitely be your worst enemy as a homeowner — it can cause problems inside and outside your home, especially if your current guttering is not equipped to handle the amount of water you are getting, the downspouts are not large enough, or the gutters are not maintained properly.  To help prevent issues and to spot the ones already there, here are some signs of water drainage problems that can tell you it is time to have your gutters inspected, repaired or replaced.

Peeling Paint

Do you see paint bubbling or peeling off your siding or wood? Take a close look at your entire home. This can be an indicator of a gutter problem. If your gutters are not performing as they should, water can build up or overflow in areas you don’t want water to get into- causing potential problems.

This can mean water is running down the sides of your home vs being pulled away by the gutters. The runoff water is not getting away from your home as intended. This is very common with gutter leaks or improperly installed guttering. Instead it is running down the side seeping into wood trim and seeping into the ground near the foundation of your home. This could cause even more serious foundation issues if the issue is not taken care of.

Wall Cracks

Small cracks are somewhat normal from settling and age, but any larger cracks can mean trouble.  Walk around your home inspecting the foundation area. Do you notice any larger or growing cracks? This could be caused by excessive water being absorbed right by your wall due to improper drainage. Your gutters could be inadequate, clogged, or even broken.

Mulch Is Washing Away

If your mulch or soil is washing away into your lawn, drive, or the street’s drains, you may have drainage problems. Downspouts may not be positioned correctly, causing issues with things like your patio, driveway or walkway, as soil erosion undermines the concrete structure.

Attic Mold

If your gutters are filled with standing water, the fascia boards holding these gutters up are under stress, and can eventually begin to break or rot. Rot can spread to the rest of your roof quickly, but the first sign of a gutter or moisture-related issue you will be able to spot from the attic is in your insulation. Moist or even moldy insulation is a clear indication that your rain gutters aren’t carrying away water like they should.

Water Around Your Foundation

Last but not least- look around the perimeter of your home right after the next rainstorm. Do you see water puddling around your foundation? This water can compromise your foundation in several ways, so it’s important to have professional s like Gutter Boyz of Kentucky inspect your gutter system, including your downspouts and fascia. They are trained and experienced and can spot discrepancies and offer cost-effective solutions to eliminate water accumulating around your foundation.

Think you may have drainage issues?  Contact Gutter Boyz of Kentucky, with offices in Paducah, KY and Benton, KY today at (270) 906-3055.  We will be happy to come out and perform a comprehensive inspection of your drainage system. 

Curious about seamless gutters? Well, you’re not alone. We hear this question often. Our customers ask: What are they? What are the advantages? How are seamless gutters different from regular gutters?

Since we are experts in seamless gutters, we love sharing our knowledge and experience with others. In 2013, we were working as a general contractor in residential construction. We soon found out that finding a reliable, honest gutter installation company was no easy task. After several weeks of searching, we decided to purchase the necessary machinery and equipment and started a new company that specialized in gutter repair, service and installation. It didn’t take long for the word to get out about our quality work. So, we slowly phased out of the construction side of our business and went strictly to gutters. Each year we help more and more home and business owners invest in seamless gutters, especially once they learn about the benefits of this amazing product.

So, welcome to Seamless Gutters 101! Below are answers to some of the most common questions we get about our seamless rain gutters:

Q: What benefits do seamless gutters offer over standard gutters?

A: To begin, no seams means no leaks. This helps ensure that water is carried away from your home reducing excessive water infiltration around your foundation or into your basement. Our seamless design also helps maintain the strength and integrity of the gutter system so expansion, contraction, freezing and strong winds have little or no impact on our seamless steel gutter.

And it looks great, too! Gutter Boyz of Kentucky custom cuts our gutters for an exact fit, blending perfectly with the soffit and fascia of your home. Lower-grade gutter systems often end up looking like an after-thought, literally tacked on to the eaves of a home. Our system integrates precisely with the existing structure. The result? A gutter that can actually enhance the curb appeal and value of your home.

Q: How will you attach the rain gutters to my home?

A: We use an exclusive “heavy” steel hanger that tightly secures the gutter to your home. This system is virtually invisible. Not only does this unique steel gutter hanger enhance the seamless look of our rain gutters, it is also considerably stronger than the spike and ferrule system used to attach light-weight aluminum gutters. And to secure our hangers, we use screws instead of nails. Screws are much less susceptible to coming loose when gutters are exposed to snow, ice, and heavy winds.

Q: In what colors are your seamless rain gutters available?

A: Chances are, we’ve got your color! Our palette includes all of the most popular gutter colors (and many others), so your gutter system can coordinate with the look and color of your home. This can give your home a beautiful “face lift” to enhance its visual appeal and overall value.

Gutter Boyz of KY is here to help you with all of your gutter needs.  Yes, we install new gutter systems but we can also help save money and prevent costly damage to your home with gutter repairs, gutter guards and gutter cleaning.  Give Gutter Boyz of KY a call today at (270) 906-3055 for a FREE quote today.

Home maintenance is like a part-time job. And, if your house is anything like that movie with Tom Hanks from the 80s (Money Pit), home maintenance can creep from a full-time job to a full-blown nightmare.

So, the question then becomes — how do I approach home maintenance in the smartest, most cost effective and safest way possible?

Some home repairs are easy to do — repaint your bedroom wall, remove shelving and do some spackling, even some light carpentry work. Most of these types of jobs don’t require a lot of special skills and they also don’t require you to put yourself in harm’s way.

Most of us don’t like heights, and walking on a house’s roof can be both unsettling and dangerous.

Home repairs like roof leaks, shingle repair, gutter cleaning and gutter repair are worth the investment, unless you’re Bob Villa, Tim Allen or Chuck Norris.  Hiring a professional can actually SAVE you money.

The value of hiring a professional is multi-fold:

It keeps you safe

You don’t have to worry about a botched DIY project

You get more free time to focus on your other projects

The pros like Gutter Boyz of KY are licensed, bonded and insured, which means you aren’t liable for any accidents that could happen on the job.

Now, some notes on gutter repair.

There are a lot of companies out there who take a “set it and forget it” approach to gutter cleaning and maintenance.  This is a very bad idea.  Why?

Diverting water from your roof and away from your home is the very thing gutters are supposed to do.  The best way to ensure that your gutters are in good working order and that your home is protected is to clean them and maintain them regularly. 

We mentioned you could save money with gutter repair. That is very true.  You can also save money on gutter cleaning.  Keeping your gutters cleaned is the best way to ensure you don’t need costly repairs.

Over the lifetime of your gutters, it is far less expensive to clean and maintain them than it is to take shortcuts or neglect them and incur the high costs associated with needing repairs or even a new gutter system.

Another way that gutter maintenance helps you save is this — if you regularly have gutter cleaning professionals cleaning and inspecting your gutters, they’ll also develop an eye for the health of your roof, soffits and fascia. If there’s a problem, they’ll let you know. The question is, how long do you want to wait to learn about a problem?

As they say, early detection is key.  Gutter Boyz of KY is here to help you with all of your gutter needs.  Yes, we install new gutter systems but we can also help save money and prevent costly damage to your home with gutter repairs, gutter guards and gutter cleaning.  Give Gutter Boyz of KY a call today at (270) 906-3055 for a FREE quote today.

Your gutter and downspout system’s job is to channel rainwater away from your home—so standing water in your gutters isn’t normal and could indicate a major problem.

Because your gutters help protect your home against basement flooding, foundation leaks, mold growth and other problems, it’s imperative that you fix any problems—even if they are seemingly insignificant—right away! Standing water in your gutters needs to be handled immediately.

If there’s standing water in your gutters, it could indicate a clog. A number of different things can cause your gutters to clog up, including:

Leaves, pine needles, etc.

Sticks, twigs and small tree branches

Animal nests

Tennis or golf balls

Small toys

Unfortunately, clogs in the downspouts sometimes can’t be seen and can be more difficult to detect, but that’s what gutter professionals are for! If left unfixed, the clogs in your gutters or downspouts can lead to other problems that can end up costing you more money, so no matter what kind of problem you’re experiencing, call us right away.

To fix standing water in your gutters and get your system working properly again, repair is needed—but full gutter replacement may also be recommended.  Whether you are looking for new gutters, gutter cleaning, gutter guards or possibly have water standing in your gutters and not sure what to do, Gutter Boyz of Kentucky can help.  We serve all of Paducah – McCracken County, Marshall County, Graves County, Lyon County and most of western Kentucky.  Give us a call today for a free estimate at (270) 906-3055.

If you just bought a house, you may be shocked to discover it doesn’t have gutters. How did you overlook this during the inspection? Now you’re left with the task of installing gutters and downspouts. Maybe you are wondering if you even need gutters on your home.  Why does a house need gutters, anyway?

A home with no gutters or even clogged gutters cause damage is because they let water flow over the sides, where it pools all around the foundation. If you don’t have gutters and downspouts to direct runoff away from your home, this will happen every time it rains. Here are four reasons to install gutters on your home and to make sure they are working properly.

PREVENT EROSION

Homes built to code are situated on a slight slope to guide runoff away from the foundation. If rain flows off your roof because you have no gutters, the water causes massive erosion, washing away more and more soil each time it rains. This causes your carefully sloped landscape to wear down, allowing runoff to flow toward your home instead of away from it.

Erosion also causes the foundation to settle. Eventually, you may start to notice uneven floors and cracked walls and chimneys as a result.

PROTECT GARDEN BEDS

Many homeowners enjoy planting flowers and shrubs right next to the house. This creates a pleasing aesthetic and can act as a windbreaker to guard against blustery winter weather. If soil erosion occurs because you don’t have gutters, your garden could literally wash away.

Even if erosion is minimal, puddles of water will form in your garden bed and drown your plants. Melting snow will also drip down and freeze overnight into solid sheets of ice that could kill evergreen shrubs.

PREVENT BASEMENT FLOODING

When soil is saturated with water, it becomes incredibly heavy. This means the water running off your roof and pooling around the house places tremendous pressure on the foundation. Over time, this may cause basement walls to push inward or crack.

Tiny cracks in your foundation walls allow water to flow in and flood your basement. Even if the amount of water entering doesn’t appear substantial, this excessive moisture promotes mold growth, which could become a health hazard.

PROTECT THE SIDING

When rainwater carries leaves, dirt, and tiny asphalt shingle particles down the siding, this results in unsightly staining. Your home looks dreary and unkempt when this happens, negatively impacting your curb appeal.

The effects aren’t purely aesthetic, either. Over time, streams of rainwater can begin to rot your siding, especially if it’s made of wood. Rotten siding looks unappealing, but more importantly, it creates holes that invite pests into your home. If enough water seeps through the siding, it could affect your home’s structural integrity and become extremely expensive and difficult to fix.

PROTECT YOUR HOME WITH GUTTER CLEANING & REPAIR SERVICES

If you decide to install gutters, you also need to clean and maintain them to prevent the problems described above. Gutter Boyz of Paducah, KY can help you with all of your gutter needs.  We serve most far western Kentucky counties including Paducah/McCracken County, Graves County, Marshall County, Hickman County, Carlisle County and most of the Purchase Area of Kentucky.  Give us a call for all of your gutter needs at (270) 906-3055.