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Category Archives: Gutters

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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Barrels, Gutters Posted on

What’s New in the Gutter Biz?

rain chain

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!


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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutter Repair, Gutters Posted on

The Price You’ll Pay For Leaking Gutters

leaking-gutter

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.


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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutter Blog, Gutters Posted on

Are Dirty Gutters Bugging You?

dirty gutters

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!


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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutter Installation, Gutter Replacement, Gutters Posted on

For Great Curb Appeal – Start at the Top of Your House

roofing

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.

seamlessgutter

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.


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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutters, Icicles Posted on

What’s The Deal With Ice In My Gutter System?

frozen-niagara

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.

gutters-ice-dam

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!


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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutters Posted on

Seamless Gutters: Protect Your Home

Seamless gutters are designed to collect water as it comes off of your roof and direct that water away from your home. It sounds simple, but it is very important to protect your home from water in this manner. The pitch of your gutter system is equally important. Gutters must be pitched to drain, so that water does not collect in your gutters and just sit there. Standing water can be a major problem in and of itself, attracting pesky insects such as mosquitoes! We understand that your home is your most valuable asset, as well as an ongoing investment. We want to help you protect and preserve that investment. That is why we have our seamless gutter experts to take care of your water management.

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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutters Posted on

Cleaning the OUTSIDE of Your Gutters!

We all know how to keep in the inside of our gutters clean - with regular cleanings or the installation of leaf protection products, but few people are aware of the suggested solution for cleaning the outside of gutters. Some gutters, especially white ones, can get what we call "tiger-stripes." This happens when dirt and grime build up in the lip of the gutter, and moisture is combined with the pollutants in the gutter, causing the filthy mixture to stream down the front of your gutters. Rain causes the dirt and grime in the gutter to overflow down the front of the gutter, even more so in especially rainy spring and summer months (HELLO, MICHIGAN THIS YEAR!!) The good news is.... there is a do-it-yourself solution to help you get rid of these hideous streaks! The recipe is as follows:
  • 1/3 cup laundry detergent
  • 2/3 cup trisodium phosphate
  • 1 quart 5% bleach
  • 3 quarts water.
Mix, apply to the gutters, and rinse. This should take care of your problem!  Happy Cleaning!

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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Alloy Gutter, Estimate, Footage, Gutters, Integrity, Material, Subcontractor, Uncategorized Posted on

Reasons To Use Alloy Gutter Company As Your Subcontractor

Alloy Gutter has a fully staffed office, 5 days a week, from 6am - 5pm. That means great customer service all day! Someone is always available to take your call, assist you in your color choice and product selection, answer any questions you might have, and help you through the home improvement process. We are here for you! We offer same day/next day scheduling on seamless gutter jobs. Alloy Gutter Company is fully insured.  We only hire highly trained and experienced installers. They can handle the trickiest of jobs and instructions to make sure that your homeowner is happy with their improvements. We regularly check the market for competitive pricing and buy material in bulk, ensuring that our contractors receive fair and competitive pricing. We have an 18-month warranty on our workmanship and same-day/next-day service on repairs. Our crews turn in complete footage breakdowns for every job. We will not overcharge you; if we make a mistake on your charge, we will pay you back DOUBLE the difference. Integrity is key to our business. If we are given a job lead when doing a job for your company, we turn that lead in to you! No stolen leads. These are just a few of the many reasons you should use Alloy Gutter Company as your seamless gutter and leaf protection subcontractor. Call us today to request a free estimate or speak with one of our customer service representatives!

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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Accurate Pricing, Contractor Ken, Contractors, Gutters, Joe Piecework, Leaf Protection, Roofing, Seamless Delivery, Siding, Trim, Uncategorized Posted on

How To Determine If You Are Getting Accurate Pricing

4641090

Does your subcontractor's tape measure start at 10 feet? Call Alloy Gutter today for Accurate Measuring & Billing! 734-374-2100 - Metro . 616-554-1575 - West MI


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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Customer Service, Gutters, Home Improvement, Seamless Gutters, Uncategorized Posted on

Nobody’s Perfect

Once upon a time there was a customer; we’ll call her Mrs. Smith. She hired a contractor to install seamless gutters and downspouts on her house. Mrs. Smith was very particular about everything. She carefully picked her colors, discussed every last detail with the crew, and sat in her lawn chair with her precious little toy poodle Taffy to oversee their workmanship. 9054982 The job progressed smoothly while Mrs. Smith and Taffy barked out requests and orders as they saw necessary. As the men were finishing, Mrs. Smith had to go inside to take a phone call, leaving Taffy to supervise. The crew members went around the back of the house to start the clean-up process, making sure to leave the job site spotless. Taffy remained in the front of the house curiously poking around the men’s tool belts. She found a tube of gutter sealant, pulled it out of the tool pouch, and proceeded to roll around in fresh caulk. 282210 Mrs. Smith exited the house at the exact same time that the workers came around to see the site. To the shock and horror of everyone involved, Taffy was covered in the very difficult to remove sealant. Mrs. Smith went CRAZY!!! She was absolutely furious, crying that her poor baby would never be the same. 7889987 Long story short, we here at Alloy Gutter paid for the puppy spa so that Taffy could get a proper clean-up and haircut. Mrs. Smith was satisfied with our willingness to do so, and in the end was quite pleased with our work to boot. 5036029 The point is, we all make mistakes. The important thing is that we take responsibility for our mistakes and satisfy our customers to the very best of our ability. We’ve been striving to do what’s right for 35 years now. Play your cards right and give us a shot; you might get a free cat pedicure out of the deal.

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