Their low upfront cost has made plastic gutters grow in popularity over the years. A quick perusal of any hardware store will turn up a variety of ten foot lengths of plastic gutters running lower than $10 a piece. This can be substantially lower than the costs associated with their aluminum gutter counterparts.

The Problem With Plastic

We have found, however, that the apparent economic benefit of plastic gutters is, in reality, extremely short-lived. In our years of servicing Vancouver’s eavestroughs, we have seen how poorly these plastic gutters weather our climate and the costly repairs that can result.

A continuous seamless gutter system is not possible with pvc. Plastic gutters are only available in pre-cut lengths. As we have discussed in a previous post, joints in gutters are already problem spots, but this is even more so of an issue with plastic gutters.

PVC vinyl warps and bends in the warmth of our summers, causing joints to come apart or overlap. Further, the material contracts during the winter making the gutters brittle and prone to cracks. All of this spells out leaks, meaning the foundation of the home is no longer protected from moisture. The gutters are essentially failing at the one important job they are purposed for.

Finally, plastic gutters just don’t look that great. Even before they become distorted and weighed down by the elements, plastic gutters can really take a toll on a house’s curb appeal. They require more supports than other gutters and are only available in a few colors. Not a good thing from a design perspective.

After all of the problems we have seen our clients have with plastic gutters, we have decided not to work with them. Dynamic Gutters prides itself on our dependable results and always leaving our customers satisfied. We don’t think that we would be able to build that reputation with plastic gutters.

The post Plastic Gutters In The Real World appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.

A quality gutter cover system will dramatically reduce wildlife in your gutters. Not only will it physically prevent animals from climbing in and getting comfortable, but it is a leaf protection system that will also keep the gutters clean. This is key because animals have no interest in making a home without nesting materials or still water, and no scent of decomposing debris will attract them from far away.

Similarly, it is a good idea to cover all of your downspouts. They are common points of access for wildlife, so consider covering the openings with a wire mesh or grate. Something that will allow water to flow through easily while preventing anything from crawling in.

It is also smart to trim any large or overhanging trees looming over your home. Because their access will be limited, this will help keep animals off of your roof altogether.

There are some repellants you can try if you want to ensure your roof is as unwelcome to animals as possible. Artificial owls make an effective decoy and are often used on commercial or apartment buildings. Some even employ a speaker system that emits high frequency sounds that only animals can hear.

With quality gutter guards installed, you probably wont have to resort to such measures. Leaf protection isn’t the only thing that they are good for, they will also keep your backyard wildlife from making a home in your gutters.

The post Gutter Guards: Not Just For Leaf Protection appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.

• Less Chance For Leakage With Seamless Gutters

Pre-cut gutters need to be fixed together to sufficiently surround the eaves of your home. Seams are formed where one length meets another, and are a common source of leaks. You need to measure and calculate how to hang the gutters while creating the minimal amount of seams because they will be the weak spots in your gutter.

Seamless gutters are crafted on site to the exact measurements. They are not completely seamless, there will still be joints around the corners of your roofline and the downspout, but the length of the gutter will be one piece.

• Seamless Gutters Have Superior Strength

Gutters have to withstand a lot. The constant weight of rain, hail, and snow can really take its toll. This stress can push and pull the gutter pieces apart. A lack of seams means that your gutter won’t have the weak spots that can cause problems with traditional gutters. Being crafted from a single piece, seamless gutters are inherently stronger.

• The Curb Appeal Of Seamless Gutters

Instead of being different lengths pieced together, seamless gutters have clean, straight lines. Their streamlined appearance does look better than the alternative. This can add value to your home.

Rain gutters preform a vital job directing water away from your house. One-size-fits-all options may not be the best approach. Instead of relying on pre-manufactured supplies, Dynamic Gutters is happy to craft seamless gutters that are custom fit to your home.

The post The Top 3 Benefits Of Seamless Gutters appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.

There is a wide variety of gutter covers available on the market today. It is worth noting that they are not all created equal. They have varying degrees of effectiveness.

Gutter Clean System

We protect our gutters with the Alu-Rex Gutter Clean System of gutter covers. A sturdy mesh screens out leaves and other debris while letting rainwater drain through. It is designed with perforations that are perfectly spaced and distributed to allow this to happen as efficiently as possible. Later, when the sun comes out, the leaves dry and float away in the breeze.

Made out of strong aluminum, Alu-Rex gutter covers will weather the downpours we get in the winter and they can also withstand the weight of a heavy snowfall with out a problem (not that that is something we have to worry about in Vancouver.)

For more information about this product and to see for yourself why we choose to install it for our clients, visit Alu-Rex here.

What To Expect

While we believe the Gutter Clean System is the best form of gutter covers available, it is important to note that it does not mean that you can forget about maintaining your gutters entirely. Gutter covers like these should prevent major blockages by screening out most of the debris, but nothing is 100% effective. You will still need to check your gutters every so often, but much less frequently than if you didn’t have them.

The post Do Gutter Covers Work? appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.

Well, it isn’t quite that simple. Your home’s gutters perform the crucial task of diverting water away from its foundation, not something to take lightly. Many do-it-yourselfers figure this out the hard way, ending up with more than they can handle and facing costly repair work later. So before you run out to the home improvement store, here are some things to consider.

Safety

It doesn’t matter how old or healthy you are, navigating the eaves of a house is a hazardous process. Make sure that the ground surrounding your home is even and level enough to steady a tall ladder. You will need to be comfortable climbing up and down it and working from the top rungs. Even if the ground is level and solid, slipping and falling from the top is a real possibility if your weight is shifted or you overextend yourself. These are not always clumsy or stupid mistakes, even the most experienced and careful handymen can get injured. With your health on the line, many people choose not to risk it and call a professional.

Cost

Most people choose to install gutters because they think that it will save them some money. Before you make that conclusion, be sure to get some estimates from some professional installers and compare that with the cost of the materials that you will need. You might be surprised by the numbers. We are happy to offer our service at competitive rates, you can contact us here to find out more. Our services also come with a warranty.

Assistance

Another thing to consider when you are planning to put up gutters is the fact that you won’t be able to do it alone. Installing gutters is at least a two-person job, but you will want to have more people on hand. You’ll have to convince some friends who know how to install gutters to give up their weekend (some pizza and beer might help.)

There are many disadvantages to installing gutters yourself. Why not just let us take care of it, we know how to install gutters without the stress.

The post How To Install Gutters: Call An Expert appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.

Not every system is perfect however. In the green city of Vancouver BC, rain falls an average of 161 days each year. If all of that rain were to end up in a barrel, we would definitely need more than one to fit it all.

What would happen if you went on vacation, and it rained?  Would you have to worry about water backing up into your gutters? Perhaps overflowing the entire system?  No, of course not.  That problem is tackled by something called a downspout diverter.

What a Downspout Diverter Does

A downspout diverter is installed into a downspout just before it reaches your rain barrel system. Water drains through the diverter normally, allowing for a constant flow, until your rain barrel is full.  At this point, water will back up to the diverter, and excess water will be redirected into another offshoot downspout.

The system is brilliant in its simplicity, and very easy to install.  If you would like to learn more about getting a downspout diverter for your home in Vancouver BC, feel free to call us using the number at the top of this page.

The post Downspout Diverters To Stop Overflowing Rain Barrels appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.

At Dynamic Gutters, we offer three types of rain gutters, each with their own distinct look. Which one will be the best choice for you?

• Copper- Rich and Worldly

Copper is a stylish choice. It can give your home a sophisticated, old world touch. Keep in mind that copper will naturally change its appearance as it is exposed to the elements. It will loose its bright amber hue and develop a mottled green patina, adding character and an elegant, antique quality.

• Zinc- Cool and Contemporary

The matte silver finish of our zinc gutters can give your home a sleek, modern look. Light and graceful, zinc gutters won’t overpower your home. They can be used either to disappear in decorative fascia or to complement the straight lines of a simpler exterior.

• Aluminum- The Choice is Yours

One of the benefits of our aluminum gutters is the possibility of color. Our aluminum gutters come in seventeen different colors, ranging from neutral earth tones to more dramatic shades of green, blue, or black.

When considering which color will work best for your home, ask yourself what kind of look you are hoping to achieve. If you would like the gutters to blend in, you can try to match them to the color of your roof. This will mask them and make them appear as a natural part of the eaves. Alternately, you might want to match the gutters to the color of your exterior siding if you want to minimize the impact of your roofline.

Your house’s trim color could be a good idea for your gutters if you want them to stand out. This could unify the overall appearance of your home, bringing everything together.

Making sure that the gutters you purchase are functional and practical is, of course, your primary concern. The contribution they make to your house’s appearance and its curb appeal can’t be ignored, however. Our team at Dynamic Gutters will be happy to help you find the best gutters for your home.

The post The Best Gutters For Your Home appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.

Say Goodbye to the HST on Gutters for March only

April 1 is close enough that we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  If you have been putting off necessary work around your home in order to save a few dollars on the HST, you can relax.

Dynamic Gutters will save you the HST starting right now!

Book your gutter install, replacement, or repair before the end of March, and we are adjusting our prices in order to get rid of the HST a few weeks early. That means the 12% HST tax is already gone!

This will be done on every Dynamic Gutters job booked in the month of March, whether you live in Richmond, Surrey, or Kitsilano. Want to save some dollars and get a jump on the spring renovations around the home?  Call us today!  The month of April is already being booked solid.

The post Goodbye HST, We Never Loved You! appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.

Rainwater harvesting can be a viable way to keep your yard healthy during the summer. People have been collecting rainwater for millennia, everyone from the Egyptians to the Incans to the Venetians. Many people in Vancouver find it works for them too.

Sale!

In an effort to encourage rainwater harvesting, the city of Vancouver for example sells rain barrels at a subsidized price. This means a standard sized rain barrel costs $75 (plus tax). Currently, the city is also offering short rain barrels for the discounted price of $50 (plus tax). These are ideal for smaller outdoor spaces and gardens.

Helpful Hints to Remember

Rain barrels can be easily positioned under downspouts to collect the water that would otherwise be drained away from your home. To keep children or wildlife from climbing in, it is important that they have a well-fitted cover. A piece of screen door mesh can be used to catch any debris from your eaves trough. A rain barrel needs to have an overflow leading to a storm drain as well as a spout that can be used for a hose or to fill up watering cans.

A rain barrel is a great idea for many people who value their green lawns during the summer. Setting one up now while we still have rainy days forecasted will provide the water needed to keep yards lush and green all year long. Our qualified professional installers at Dynamic Gutters Vancouver will be happy to discuss rainwater harvesting options that might work for you.

The post Rainwater Harvesting Solutions appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.

Happily, the fiber cement siding that we use is a fire resistant product. It is made non-combustible to prevent home fires. Both Certainteed and James Hardie products that we carry also have a fire spread rating of A(1) or lower. This is the best possible classification for fire resistance. If you are a homeowner thinking of remodeling, this can really take a load off of your mind.

Save on Insurance

Having a fire resistant exterior can also impact your home insurance rates. Once they know that fiber cement siding has been used, many insurance companies respond by lowering premiums. They know that the material is not only non-combustible, but also resistant to rot and to insects. It is typically considered the same as masonry, as it shares many of the same benefits.

Non-combustible siding is a great protection against fire, but fire safety education is an important tool for preventing tragedy. For more helpful information and useful tips, visit Fire Prevention Canada

We can prevent our homes from becoming a statistic in 2013. Take proactive action and consider fire resistant products, such as James Hardie or Certainteed siding. Together, we can protect our property and our families.

The post Always Protect Your Home Against Fire appeared first on Dynamic Gutters.