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Do Your Gutters Get Removed During Your Roof Replacement?

November 13th, 2020 | 5 min. read

Do Your Gutters Get Removed During Your Roof Replacement?

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Are you ready for a new roof? Are you replacing your gutters too? Or are they in good enough condition that they don’t have to be? 

Either way, you’re probably wondering what your roofing contractor does with your gutters during your roof replacement. Luckily, we’re here to break it down for you. 

The team at Bill Ragan Roofing Company has provided Nashville and surrounding areas with high-quality gutter and roofing services since 1990. Our attention to detail and high-quality workmanship ensures your roof investment is maximized. That’s why we offer a lifetime warranty

So, what will your roofing contractor do with your gutters when they replace your roof? Always eager to educate on all things roofing, I’m going to answer that question and more. 

Do your gutters need to be removed during a roof replacement?

Most customers usually replace their gutters when they replace their roof. However, if your gutters are fairly new or the material’s integrity is holding strong, you probably aren’t replacing them during your roof replacement. 

With that in mind, your roofing contractor shouldn’t remove the gutters during your roof replacement. Even when you need your gutters replaced, they shouldn’t be removed until after your new roof is installed and the roofers are gone.

Instead of removing them, your roofing contractor should take all proper precautions to protect your gutters during the roof replacement process. This means they’ll cover them up, won’t lean ladders on them, and everything else possible not to damage them as they work. 

After your roof replacement, they’ll even blow everything out and clean your gutters whether they’re going to be replaced or not. Then once the roofers leave, the gutter crew will come in and replace your gutters.  

Your gutters are just one thing your roofing contractor should protect while they’re working on your property. To learn more about the precautions your roofing contractor should take while working on your home, read this article on how my property is protected during a roof replacement

3 more things to know about your gutters 

You just learned your roofing contractor won’t remove your gutters when they replace your roof. But what else do you need to know about how your gutters and roof are intertwined?

1. Your roofing contractor can install your new gutters

Roofing and gutters are two completely different art forms that require different skill sets and tools. So, you’re probably wondering if you have to hire both a gutter company and a roofing company.

While you’re more than welcome to call a gutter company for your new gutters, your local roofing company can install your new gutters after your roof is replaced. A lot of roofing companies either have a gutter division in house or a gutter company that they subcontract their gutter work out to.

It all depends on how much gutter work the roofing contractor gets. Instead of dealing with multiple companies, you can get your gutters and roof replacement through your roofing contractor.

This saves you from having multiple payments, and if there’s ever a problem, there’s only one company you have to deal with.

2. You gutters have to be cleaned and inspected as part of roof maintenance

Roof maintenance is the periodical checking of all the vulnerable areas on a roof that could be susceptible to having a problem. One of these vulnerable areas is your gutters.  

It’s crucial to get your gutters cleaned out and inspected for problems as part of regular roof maintenance. If debris, such as leaves and sticks, are left on your roof or gutters, it can create a dam. This will cause the water to back up under the shingles and create a leak. 

Leaves in gutters can clog the downspouts or slow the flow of water, which can cause the gutters to overflow and create unwanted moisture in the crawl space or basement. Your gutter’s integrity also needs to be checked to ensure there are no cracks or open seams. 

It’s important to have at least annual maintenance on your gutters to have them cleaned and looked over. To learn more about why this is crucial, read this article on why it’s important to have your gutters cleaned

3. The common roof leak associated with gutters

A valley is when two roof slopes meet in a V shape that allows water to flow down a roof freely. When a valley stops in the middle of a roof, it will have a gutter that runs into it so the water can continue flowing down.

When that gutter in the valley gets filled with leaves and other debris, one of the most common roof leaks happens. While the overflowing gutter is the water source of the leak, it’s more about the fascia (the board that runs along the lower edge of the roof that carries all the gutters). 

When there’s improperly installed flashing or no flashing at all applied to the fascia board, a leak will happen. This leak won’t happen under normal circumstances. It might be under extreme rain, but it’ll send water through the path of least resistance.

Once that water gets underneath the soffit (the finished underside of the lower edge of a sloped roof), behind the gutter, it can go anywhere it wants, causing all kinds of damage.

This is just one roof leak we see and repair often. To learn more about the other roof leaks we see regularly, read this article on the 6 most common roof leaks

Ready to hire a local roofing contractor to take care of your gutter and roof replacement?

You just learned that your gutters don’t get removed during your roof replacement. Even if you’re getting new gutters with your roof replacement, your old ones don’t need to be removed until it’s time to replace them. 

No matter if you need new gutters, a new roof, or even both, it’s crucial to hire a great local roofing contractor. But how do you find one? That all boils down to asking the right questions. 

The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has been replacing roofs and gutters for the residents of Nashville since 1990. No matter what your roof needs, we’re confident that we can take care of you. If you’re in the Nashville area, don’t hesitate to contact us for our high-quality gutter and roofing services.

To ensure you hire a great roofing contractor, check out this this article on the Top 8 Questions to Ask a Roofing Contractor.

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