A well-installed and maintained eavestrough can help enhance a home’s appeal while protecting your home against water damage. After all, your home’s foundation could be damaged from water flowing through the wall and forming at the home base.
Unfortunately, regardless of how well the system is installed, it’s bound to wear and tear from different factors as time passes. In such an event, you need to act fast to prevent your home from being negatively affected by a deteriorated eavestrough system and protect your property from water damage.
As far as eavestrough repair is concerned, you can choose to DIY or call professionals. However, the decision depends on various factors for the procedure’s success. Both options have their pros and cons, too.
In this post, we’ll discuss when you can handle the eavestrough repairs on your own and when to bring in the help of experts. If by the end of the day, you decide to hire professionals, you can check and click here to learn more about what to expect from them. Read along to learn!
Should You DIY Eavestrough Repair?
Most homeowners clean and maintain their eavestrough, which makes them understand the system pretty well. But while you may be familiar with the system, the decision on whether to repair your eavestrough by yourself still depends on various factors, and these include:
1. The Extent Of Damage
Choosing to repair the eavestrough yourself without a professional’s help depends on the extent of the damage. For example, if the system seems loose and only requires stronger support, you can attempt to do the task even with little skills. You can also perform minor repairs with the help of online videos.
However, if the system is severely damaged, it might not be a good idea to attempt the repairs yourself, especially if you aren’t experienced or only knows basic knowledge. Doing so could only do more harm, not only to your home’s eavestrough but can also put your safety at risk.
2. The Ability To Handle Repairs
As a rule of thumb, it isn’t advisable to attempt any repair job that you aren’t sure you can handle. And as mentioned, going beyond what you know and understand could only put you at risk and cause more damage to your home. Not to mention the cost you have to prepare to redo the job.
For example, suppose your eavestrough requires downspout replacement. Attempting to rectify the situation without proper knowledge can affect the integrity of your home’s foundation if excess water pools around it.
And as a result, instead of only dealing with eavestrough problems, you’d also have to address foundation issues. You’d then have to call in professionals and have your home’s foundation inspected and possibly repaired, which can be costly.
With that, you should only handle what you can and leave the significant repair work for professionals.
3. You Have And Can Use Necessary Tools
To successfully handle and finish eavestrough repairs, you must have and be able to use the necessary tools and equipment. For instance, you need a ladder that can reach the height of your gutters, a measuring tape, a crimper, and a pop rivet gun to drive rivets into the holes, among other tools.
Nevertheless, having the necessary tools doesn’t mean you can handle the repair successfully: you need to know how to use them and for what purpose.
4. Your Comfort Level Of Using A Ladder
When repairing your home’s eavestrough, you generally use a ladder at one moment or another. It goes without mentioning that ladders can cause severe injuries or even death after a fall. That said, before attempting or deciding to DIY the eavestrough repair, you must be sure you can use a ladder comfortably.
Additionally, you’ll be using tools and moving throughout the repair process. Therefore, it’s essential to have balance and maintain stability when using tools and working on a ladder to avoid falling. Otherwise, if you aren’t comfortable, it may be best to leave the job to professionals.
5. The Time Required To Finish The Repairs
Every eavestrough damage requires a different time to complete. A minor repair might require minutes, while an extensive one might need several hours or even days.
Moreover, the time required for a particular repair could also depend on the person handling the repair. For example, a repair activity done by a homeowner could last several hours, while it may take less time when a professional is involved.
Therefore, it’s essential to estimate how long it will take for you to finish the job. Although it’s recommended to handle tasks you can finish within a short time to avoid leaving any repairs unfinished.
Should You Hire A Professional For Eavestrough Repair?
There’s a reason why there are experts in every field. These individuals are trained and experienced in their respective fields to handle installation, repair, and innovations without making mistakes.
As far as professionals are concerned, when repairing your eavestrough, you might not have an option other than hiring them for the job. For one, they know the material required to repair your system, and second, they work towards improving it instead of creating a bigger mess.
If you’re looking forward to having eavestrough repair, here are some reasons why you need to have a professional handle them:
1. The Eavestrough Is Still Under A Warranty
Damaged eavestroughs can be repaired for free if still under warranty. Depending on your roofing contractor and eavestrough manufacturer, warranties can last for years. Most warranties stipulate that if the repairs are due to the lack of maintenance by the homeowner, the warranty may not cover the cost of repair or replacement.
2. Can Be More Cost-Effective
While buying material for the eavestrough and repairing it on your own seems cheaper, the cost can add up quickly since the material costs change now and then. That said, it’s advisable to hire a professional since gutter installation and repair companies buy materials in bulk and might not charge more since their materials are cheaper.
On the other hand, you can calculate the cost in terms of the hours used. For example, you might decide to repair the eavestrough yourself to save money, only to use many hours to finish the job. In such an event, you won’t only count losses for buying materials at a high price but for wasting valuable time you could have used to do something else that could earn you money if you hired an expert.
3. You Aren’t Experienced
As earlier stated, don’t attempt something you aren’t experienced in. Again, experts are experts since they’re trained to handle particular tasks without problems. If you’re trying to repair your eavestrough but aren’t sure you can manage the issue, there isn’t a shortcut to it. Call experts, and rest assured that your system will be in good working condition in no time.
Wrapping Up
DIY activities are crucial for learning new things and staying active. They can also save you money if done correctly. However, not all renovations and repairs can be done the DIY way. Some require professionals to avoid further damage. While you can handle eavestrough repairs, sometimes it’s vital to call in experts if the repairs are complex.
We hope that this guide is detailed enough to help you determine when to handle eavestrough repair and when to hire professionals.