Box Gutter Repair (Pittsburgh: how much, new house, neighborhood)

[PghYinzer]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a contractor to do some work on box gutters? I definitely need to have the seams redone, as they are leaking in the middle of each side of the house and the corners.

I attempted to have this completed last year, but I was on a waiting list and they never got to my house, so I am trying again this year.

Last year I was quoted $1800 to clean, weld/solder the seams, and repaint the gutters. I got another quote for $3500, which was laughable. A final quote was around $900 but it was to use what I believe was roofing tar to fix them, and I would like to avoid that. The previous homeowner went that route and it doesn't seem like it held up very well so I would like to do it right this time. The houses are very close together and the roof is 3 stories up on the backside of the house, so I feel like half the cost because everyone considers it a PITA to do the work.

I have major fears that once someone is able to get up there and look at, that I am going to need to replace my slate roof. It is 95 years old this year, but I guess I will cross the bridge when I come to it.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I am from the sticks where we normally do this kind of stuff ourselves, but due to the slope of the roof and height it is not even an option.

[Der Schwabe]

We got a quote for $2200 for rebuilding the second floor box gutters where they were leaking, replacing the rotten wood and resealing/tinning them. I think there is a lot of price fluctuation depending upon what kind of expert you can find. Never trust the cheapest and be skeptical of anyone looking to sell the newest/easiest product. The same goes for the slate roof. Find someone to take a look at it who is experienced in slate repair, not a roof salesman who is looking for the easiest chip chop solution. Our slate roof is also about 103 years old and we have no leaks or issues. We have a maintenance crew come out once a year to replace slates where they have spalled or where there is damage. Unless there is a serious damage event, I would suggest this kind of maintenance can extend the life of your roof significantly. The caveat being, as with the gutters, that you find someone you trust to do it correctly.

[Buckeye Burgher]

Not all roofers want to work on slate roofs. Two who I know are pretty good at it are Cunningham Roofers (did some work on a family member's house with a slate roof) and a guy named DJ Rethage (did a very impressive slate re-roofing of a church).

I don't have slate roofs but I do have box gutters. I would concur, don't go with the cheapest bid.
I did and regret it. Seven years later they are leaking again, and the owner of the roofing firm is actually
in prison now for ripping-off old ladies.

[Der Schwabe]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Burgher

Not all roofers want to work on slate roofs. Two who I know are pretty good at it are Cunningham Roofers (did some work on a family member's house with a slate roof) and a guy named DJ Rethage (did a very impressive slate re-roofing of a church).

I don't have slate roofs but I do have box gutters. I would concur, don't go with the cheapest bid.
I did and regret it. Seven years later they are leaking again, and the owner of the roofing firm is actually
in prison now for ripping-off old ladies.

Very true. In some places it's a lost art but fortunately the number of houses in the area means that there are good contractors willing to do it. Above all, be skeptical of contractors pushing you toward replacement and unwilling to realistically assess repair scope and need.

The gutter repairs we are doing are also the result of a cheap/slapshod repair job. Anything involving a rubber retarring I would also avoid. These are not used in a residential setting very often, I am told. Where it has been done on ours, holes and micro leaks have formed consistently.

[guy2073]

Rubber works great in box gutters, but rubber and tar should never be used together. The best way is to reline with a metal. Not all roofers are qualified to repair box gutters, i would never bid them because my guy never does them. All of that being said i have heard great things about rick john roofing Pittsburgh Roofers - Slate and Tile Roofing Contractors | Rickjohn Roofing company inc. Pittsburgh, PA

[eschaton]

Sorry to engage in thread necromancy here, but we are looking for someone to repair our box gutters for our new house. Rick John gave us a ridiculous quote of $29,000. I'm not sure if they accidentally added another zero or just really don't want the work, but it's beyond the pale.

[PghYinzer]

What type of repairs are you going for? I was given four options, however my issue was leaking at the center seams and then the four corners where the downspouts were connected. They also did the gutters on the porch and also painted everything tinners red...

1. Full Redo, which is unreal expensive (not even an option expensive)
2. Cutting out sections and replacing it, which relies on using a tin product that is sometimes hard to find
3. Cleaning and then applying rubber-like patches over the seams, which was the best option for my budget
4. Patching the seams with tar, which is the worst option because it doesn’t last and can cause other issues

Hickey Contracting is who I used and they were great to work with. They came out and completed the work in one day, in less than a week after I called. Last year I tried this, and the contractor never showed, and some of the others wanted a fortune, although no where near 29k.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

What type of repairs are you going for? I was given four options, however my issue was leaking at the center seams and then the four corners where the downspouts were connected. They also did the gutters on the porch and also painted everything tinners red...

1. Full Redo, which is unreal expensive (not even an option expensive)
2. Cutting out sections and replacing it, which relies on using a tin product that is sometimes hard to find
3. Cleaning and then applying rubber-like patches over the seams, which was the best option for my budget
4. Patching the seams with tar, which is the worst option because it doesn’t last and can cause other issues

Hickey Contracting is who I used and they were great to work with. They came out and completed the work in one day, in less than a week after I called. Last year I tried this, and the contractor never showed, and some of the others wanted a fortune, although no where near 29k.

I think Rick John based their quote on the first, a total replacement of the gutters with new copper. Right now the gutters are so clogged with debris in places we can't really tell how much work they might need, but I'm guessing option three is what we want.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I think Rick John based their quote on the first, a total replacement of the gutters with new copper. Right now the gutters are so clogged with debris in places we can't really tell how much work they might need, but I'm guessing option three is what we want.

Yeah total replacement is not an option for my house. Not that I don’t love my house, one that I have painstakingly restored a lot of, and is probably one of the best examples of it’s interior style in original condition in the neighborhood, spending 30k on gutters for a house that is not a museum is not an option.

The price of option 3 was around 1/15 of the Rick John quote you got.

[guy2073]

Wow, i will take rick john off my list. I am sure they are worth top of the line money, but that is steep.