When considering installing a gutter guard, which is installed under a row of shingles, the inspection
of the roof is a necessary component. If
the shingles are brittle or curling, or if the homeowner knows that their 15-year shingles are now 20 years old, serious consideration should be given to replacing the roof first. This is an important consideration to avoid a
removal and re-installation of gutter guards in the near future.
Gutter covers have to be taken off before a roof is
replaced. In many instances, in order to not void the warranty, you must have the installing company
do the removal and re-installation. Most companies will not be comfortable
with warranting other company’s re-installation of their gutter guards. It is not uncommon for a roofing contractor
to volunteer with the best of intentions to remove and re-install the gutter
protection for free. Then when the
systems fails and the homeowner calls the original installing company, they
find out that the system was reinstalled improperly. In some cases, the system was damaged and
unusable due to improper removal and re-installation. We see this all too often.
There usually is a
charge for this service. The removal and
subsequent installation involves the gutter installation crew to come out twice, once for the removal and
again for the re-installation. The installing
company incurs set up fees twice for each service.
Sometimes material has to be replaced. Gutter covers don’t always go back on
properly, once they are removed, especially if you are dealing with an inexperienced crew or a crew which has never worked with that type of guard.
Sometimes, the color of the roof is changed, so the color of the gutter
protection is changed as well requiring all of the panels to be replaced.
There is usually a nominal fee for the removal and
re-installation. A gutter cover
installer or contractor has already made a profit on the original installation and usually
just covers the cost on materials and labor.
Some gutter cover installer or contractors that also do roofing will perform the
service at no charge as long as you purchase your new roof from them in the
future. This is a good situation if you
really need gutter protection, and your roof still has a few years of life left
to it.
You can avoid an unpleasant surprise in the future if you
consider the condition of your roof before purchasing a gutter protection. You need to plan out what is going to happen
when you eventually replace your roof to avoid extra expense or loss of
warranty.
