Buffalo NY Gutter FAQs

What material do you use for gutters, are they vinyl?

We use heavy gauge aluminum for all of our gutter installations. Plastic or vinyl gutters cannot be roll formed and therefore cannot be made seamless. This type of gutter is usually available at your local home center and for the do it yourself and is not recommended as this gutter is not able to stand up to WNY winters and because it cannot be installed seamless will require several sections glued together to form the length needed. These seams will almost certainly leak soon after installation.

How is gutter made?

We have a mobile roll forming machine on every gutter truck. We feed flat coil stock into one end of the machine, it proceeds through a series of rollers and exits the machine fully extruded in the shape of our gutter. We can make a gutter the exact length we need.

What thickness does gutter come in?

For the most part, gutter comes in 2 thicknesses. .032 and .027. This refers to the thickness of the aluminum in thousands of an inch. Gutterking uses only the heaviest material .032. Our weather in this area determines this and we feel for the small difference in cost it is well worth it.

How are your gutters attached? Ours have those spikes or nails.

We stopped spiking gutters in 2003. We use a patented internal screw bracket system which is the strongest one on the market. This eliminates the constant “popping out” of the nails which everyone has experienced at one time or another. The gutter is also stronger as it is installed with a threaded screw now. Not to mention the nice smooth look the gutter now has without the visible nail heads on the outside of the face of the gutter.

How long does it take to install gutters?

Once you give us the go ahead to install your gutters, we can usually get your installation done within a 2 week time frame, barring any sudden surge in volume, which can occur with any bad weather event, or late in the year rush to get work done before winter. The average house takes a half a day or less to complete, so we wont tie you up for long.

I want a gutter color other than white or brown, what choices do I have?

We have 16 color choices and we generally recommend you match your gutter color to whatever the color of your fascia board is. This way, the gutter disappears or blends in as opposed to standing out. Another way is to match your roof color. Example: if your roof is black, install black gutter and it will blend right in and not show the dirt!

When is the best time of year to install gutters?

Generally speaking, April through November is our normal installation season. When it is raining or snowing we avoid installing gutters. Of course if we have an early thaw or mild winter, we keep on going.

I get a lot of ice forming on my gutters in winter. Does this mean my gutters aren’t working properly?

Contrary to popular belief, Ice forming on a gutter has nothing to do with the actual gutter. It means you are experiencing a heat loss situation. The snow that sits on a roof should not melt until the temperatures go above freezing. If it does, it’s because your roof deck and shingle is getting warm from heat escaping. This is due to incorrect or inadequate insulation and or improper ventilation. This water will run down the roof and freeze in the gutter as the gutter is below 32 degrees. If your situation can be solved by proper insulation (Not all can, due to structural design) then this is the best way to stop it. Roof De-Icing cables are a way to prevent the solid damming on the edge, which will allow water to get off the roof instead of pooling behind the dam, running under your shingles, and getting inside your home.