Alright, so I’ve been meaning to share this little project of mine for a while now, and today’s the day. It’s about fixing up an old box gutter. Yeah, not the most glamorous topic, but hey, it’s gotta be done, right?
So, picture this: I moved into this old house a few years back. It’s got character, sure, but it also came with some, uh, “quirks.” One of those quirks was this ancient box gutter system. I noticed some water damage on the walls, and of course, I ignored it for a while. But then, after a particularly heavy rain, I realized I couldn’t put it off any longer.
Tackling the Mess
First things first, I needed to get up there and see what I was dealing with. I borrowed a ladder from my neighbor, grabbed some gloves, and started clearing out all the gunk. You wouldn’t believe the stuff that accumulates in there! Leaves, twigs, the occasional bird’s nest, and it smelled like wet dirt, you name it. I spent a good few hours just cleaning the gutters out.
Once I got rid of all the debris, I could actually see the damage. There were some pretty gnarly holes in the metal. I knew I couldn’t just leave it like that. It was time to get my hands dirty.
Patching Things Up
For the smaller holes, I used this mesh patch stuff. You just cut it to size, stick it on, and then seal it with some kind of roofing cement. Pretty straightforward. But for the bigger holes, I needed something more heavy-duty. So, I went to the hardware store and bought some sheet metal and cut it into large enough pieces to cover up the damaged areas.
Attaching the metal was a bit trickier. I ended up using a combination of screws and roofing cement, and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done. I made sure to overlap the patches and seal everything up real good. Oh, and I also found some cracked solder joints, so I grabbed my soldering iron and fixed those up too. I spent a whole weekend up on that ladder. My back was killing me, but it was worth it.
The Final Touches
After all that patching, I gave the whole gutter a good coat of sealant. I wanted to make sure it was extra watertight. I waited for a dry spell, and then I got back up on the ladder and slapped that sealant on. It was messy, but satisfying.
- Clean out all the debris first.
- Assess the damage and find the holes.
- Patch the smaller holes with mesh and sealant.
- Cut and attach sheet metal for larger holes.
- Fix any cracked solder joints.
- Apply a final coat of sealant.
It’s been a few months now, and so far, so good. We’ve had some heavy rain, and no leaks! I’m no expert, but I’m pretty proud of myself for tackling this project. It just goes to show that you don’t always need to call in the pros. Sometimes, you can just roll up your sleeves and get it done yourself, save a good bit of money, and learn a thing or two along the way.
So, if you’ve got an old box gutter that’s seen better days, don’t be afraid to give it a go yourself. It’s not as hard as you might think. Just be prepared to get a little dirty!
Original article by the Author:Hollis,If you intend to republish this content, please attribute the source accordingly:https://www.aaafruitbasket.com/how-to-rehab-an-old-box-gutter-learn-the-best-and-easiest-ways/