Many callers seem surprised when they are told that we are open all year long. However, we are here to take care of all your gutter needs throughout the winter. We are able to install gutters and leaf protection and we can take care of any needed repair work. When the temperatures are above freezing we can clean gutters.
Frequently we hear from callers who are concerned about icicles forming on their gutters. Many assume that the gutters are the cause of the problem. However, our website has an excellent article explaining how icicles and ice dams form. In most cases, it’s best to wait for a winter thaw and the problem will resolve itself.
Give us a call during the cold weather months. We can help you get an early start on your spring to do list. Even when the snow flies, Alloy Gutter is here to serve you.
That is not the title of a country western song. These are the words of my daughter who used to be my gutter cleaner. But allow me to start at the beginning of the story.
I live in a neighborhood with lots of trees…BIG Sycamore trees. Never plant a Sycamore tree. They are dirty trees that drop their huge leaves constantly. Because of this, my gutters needed cleaning every 2 weeks, I am NOT exaggerating!
Cleaning gutters involves climbing a ladder and I don’t do ladders. However, my daughter has no fear of heights and actually likes climbing up on the roof. Together we would drag out the ladder, she would climb up on the roof and I would help her navigate the garden hose. She would be up on the rooftop, waving hello to our neighbors. I would have both my feet firmly planted on the ground. But I was a very nervous mom watching from below.
However, a few years ago I lost my gutter girl; she got married and moved on to clean out her own gutters. I had no choice but to pay to have my gutters cleaned. This was going to get very expensive because of my constantly shedding tree. At that time, I decided to do some research on leaf protection products for my gutters. I found out that several of Alloy’s employees have the strainer style of leaf protection on their own gutters and they highly recommended it.
Three years ago I had strainer leaf protection installed on my gutters and they have remained debris free ever since. How do I know this? My gutter girl wanted to make one last trip up on the roof for old time’s sake. She climbed back up and took a good look at the gutters and yelled down to me, while I watched from the ground, “mom it’s all clear up here.” But she still laughs about how her “mama used to put her up on the roof” every two weeks.
Give Alloy Gutter Company a call and stop the never ending job of gutter cleaning. It’s one of the best home improvement projects you can do. The money spent on leaf protection has already paid for itself after only 3 years! 
Have you toured any model homes lately? If you look closely you may notice a couple of new exterior items as you approach the house. Some builders now include a rain chain near the front door because it’s more aesthetically appealing than a downspout. In addition, you may spot a rain barrel on the property. Many home owners are concerned about water conservation and they realize that it’s beneficial to water plants with rainwater instead of tap water.
Alloy Gutter Company often gets calls asking if we install both rain chains and rain barrels...YES we do! There are many different styles of rain chains and rain barrels available. For this reason, we ask that you provide the materials. As long as you have these items on site we will be happy to hook them up for you as part of your gutter installation. You can also have us add them to your existing gutter system.
Alloy Gutter Company can take care of any of your gutter needs including minor repairs, complete gutter installations and adding the extras like rain chains and rain barrels...make us your first call to install it all!
Who enjoys spending money on gutters? Not me. I would much rather spend money on the “fun stuff” for my house; things that people will actually notice and compliment me on. However, new gutters are not as expensive as most people think and you don’t want to spend a much larger amount on repairing a water damaged home.
I was watching a home remodeling show where the homeowners had ignored an overflowing gutter. As a result, their basement started to develop a musty smell that they chose to ignore. The brick and trim on the home’s exterior started turning green from moss growth. The water pouring down along the foundation of their house was causing more damage with every rainfall.
A few years later they decided to remodel their basement. Once demolition was underway their contractor found several unwelcome surprises. The cement block basement wall was ruined in several spots and the front porch brickwork needed extensive repairs. This was the result of ignoring an overflowing gutter.
The time had now come to pay the price for the deferred maintenance. It was going to cost several thousand dollars to fix the water damaged areas. They were told that these repairs had to be completed before any other work could be done. Of course these dollars were not in the budget and the scope of work for the basement remodeling project had to change.
Don’t let this unpleasant surprise happen to you. Make sure your gutters are working properly so that your largest investment is protected. At Alloy Gutter Company we are experts at preventing costly water damage. We can install new gutters or even repair your existing gutters. Call Alloy Gutter Company for a free estimate and be assured that costly water damage issues are not in your future.
Few events in life are more exciting than the purchase of your first home. It’s so much fun to dream about all the improvements you’ll be making to create your own special place. Picking out pretty flowers and other landscaping upgrades are usually placed at the top of the new homeowner’s priority list. However, once they have the keys in hand, most homeowners learn that there are some maintenance issues that must be given immediate attention.
It was a beautiful summer evening and we were looking forward to some relaxation time out on the new patio. What a treat after spending the day cutting grass and weeding the flower beds. Lawn furniture was arranged and cool drinks were carried outside. The first minute or two was peaceful and then I felt the first bite. Within the next couple of minutes we were swarmed by mosquitoes! This was certainly not the backyard retreat I had envisioned.
As we ran for shelter I wondered where all the pests were coming from. This issue had to be dealt with immediately. The next morning we checked the gutters and they were full of debris and standing water. The perfect environment for mosquito breeding! However, the pests were quickly flushed away by cleaning out those dirty gutters. And so this story has the happy ending of two new homeowners with clean gutters, no mosquitoes and relaxing nights on their new patio!
Don’t let dirty gutters ruin your spring and summer nights. Be sure to put gutter cleaning at the top of your to-do list. A quick call to Alloy Gutter Company is all it takes to get those gutters cleaned. Don’t experience the aggravation of being bugged by your gutters!
Every spring we see advertisements that encourage us to freshen up the exteriors of our homes. It’s so easy to get excited about adding beautiful flowering plants and fresh mulch to our landscapes. Everyone wants their home to have great curb appeal. However, few people realize how important gutters are to maintaining the curb appeal of their homes.
Spring showers are great for greening up your landscape but if your gutters are leaking, those beautiful foundation plantings are taking a beating. Make sure you look up during those rain showers to be sure your gutters are not overflowing and are draining the rain water away from your home’s foundation. Stop any water erosion by having your gutters cleaned, repaired or replaced.
Gardening is hard work and we want our efforts to pay off for many years to come. Don’t let the rain wash away all your hard labor. I have learned this lesson the hard way; one of my spring projects is to add soil and grass seed to an area where the soil eroded due to an overflowing gutter. Don’t let this happen to you.
Alloy Gutter Company is the seamless gutter and leaf protection subcontractor for you! Alloy Gutter is built on long-standing relationships with contractors. When we are on your jobs, we are representing your company. If we generate any leads while on your jobsites, we turn them in back to your company.
Why else should you use Alloy Gutter?
- Been in business since 1976 – that means you KNOW we’re good!
- Same-day/next-day installations on seamless gutter and leaf protection installations*
- Expertly trained installers
- Over 30 colors in stock
- Fully staffed office to assist you, Monday – Friday, 6am – 5pm
- Push-Button Easy – Call, Fax, or Email Jobs 24/7
- Large Service Area – We Service from Flint down to the MI/OH border and from Lake Erie to Lake Michigan!
With the harsh winter we've had here in Michigan, we are anticipating that many homeowners will find a lot of problems on their homes’ exteriors as the weather continues to break. People are starting to go outside to inspect their homes. Alloy Gutter is equipped to keep up with the amount of work-flow that this type of winter generates. Let Alloy Gutter take care of all of your seamless gutter installations this year!
*Some restrictions apply. SE MI only*
We have had a long, cold, snowy winter, but hopefully that is all behind us and we can look forward to spending some time outside and enjoying the spring weather. Now is also the time to get outside and inspect the havoc that was wreaked on your home during the snowy, icy winter.
We nearly set a record in Metro Detroit this season, receiving over 76 inches of snow this winter (while our average is only 44 inches!) Grand Rapids, Michigan also experienced a much snowier winter than usual, receiving over 101 inches of snow this season (while their average snow fall is around 60 inches). Given the crazy amount of snow this year, it makes sense that our homes may need a little more exterior upkeep this spring – as snow and ice are hard on roofs and gutters.
Many home inspection experts will encourage you to get outside and check for any loose or hanging gutters. We had an extensive amount of calls this winter for ice & snow dam issues, which could very possibly have resulted in damage to gutters and downspouts. It is very important to get those issues fixed as soon as possible. When the “April Showers” arrive, you want your home to have proper water management, keeping water away from your home’s foundation and protecting your landscaping.
Have you seen the pictures on the news of fountains that have frozen mid-flow? How about Niagara Falls freezing over?
Are you wondering how your gutters or downspouts can be frozen? Think about it this way. If something that is draining straight down can freeze (i.e. Niagara Falls), can you see how water can freeze in your gutters and downspouts? It is the same concept.
“But there’s not any ice on my roof!” Even if there does not appear to be any ice on your roof, there can still be ice in your gutters and downspouts. If you feel like your downspouts are not draining correctly, a good way to tell if there is ice in your downspout is by tapping on the downspout and listening to hear if it sounds like it is solid or if it has a hollow sound.
Thanks to the Polar Vortex and the sub-zero temperatures, we receive many calls about gutters overflowing. The reason for this appearance of overflow is because even if you can’t see it, there is a good chance your gutters are filled with ice. Anything that comes on top of your ice-filled gutters would appear to be overflowing, but really there is just not any more room in your already-full gutters. It would be similar to having a full cup of coffee and then trying to pour more into it. There isn't any room for the new coffee, so the cup would overflow.
Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done about the frozen gutters & downspouts until the temperatures rise, and we have a good, old-fashioned thaw. At this point, your gutters and downspouts should start draining properly, and the melted ice (water) should flow out of your downspouts per usual. If, after a thaw, your gutters & downspouts are still not draining properly, then it would be time to have your gutters & downspouts inspected and cleaned out of any non-ice related debris (i.e. – leaves, twigs, miscellaneous debris that was not cleaned out in the fall before the snow and ice).
We hope that this information lends more insight into what is really going on in your gutters during the winter. Stay warm!