# New gutters...should I complain?



## qwiksilvertrav (Feb 18, 2013)

Just had some gutters installed by Home Depot (well a company hired by Home Depot). I just took a closer look at everything and noticed a lot of the gutters do NOT sit flush with the fascia at all. There's about a 1 inch gab in a lot of areas and I can see the underlying deck wood through the gab etc. Is this acceptable or is it uncommon?
Here's some pictures:

Here you can see some of the existing fascia covering is bent. The middle seam at the corner leaks (well just drips but still). And then you have the 1 inch gap.


Just a different angle. If you look close you can see screws going through to the fascia...barely drilled into it.



This is the other side of the house. Same deal. Big 1 inch gap. 



This is the back side of the house. Most of the gutter is flush on this side except for this end.


My main concern is pests and also the underlying deck wood being exposed. Would I be crazy to call and complain? They've already been out a second time to fix some leaks I noticed...then the guy just completely rerouted the drain saying that was why it was leaking (made zero sense to me). 

Any advice would be great!


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

If your fascia boards are sloped, this would be a normal occurrence.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

What are the gutters attached to? If the roof line projected too much over the gutter, they would have strapped the gutters to the roof deck, under the shingles.
This whole scenario should have been discussed at the time the estimator came to the house for an assessment of the job.
Do you have any photos from over the gutter? Have you looked under the roofing for strapping?
Now would be a good time.


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## qwiksilvertrav (Feb 18, 2013)

Ron6519 said:


> What are the gutters attached to? If the roof line projected too much over the gutter, they would have strapped the gutters to the roof deck, under the shingles.
> This whole scenario should have been discussed at the time the estimator came to the house for an assessment of the job.
> Do you have any photos from over the gutter? Have you looked under the roofing for strapping?
> Now would be a good time.


No strapping, they are drilled into the fascia. If you look close you can see a good inch of thread from the screw going into the fascia. It's hard to see them but look closely at the last pic in my post. You can see just a good inch of thread from the screw....

The shingles hang a little bit but not to much and as of right now they go right to the opening of the gutter. Maybe this is the reason it's out a ways but still looks a bit crappy. That gap is a welcome invitation to bats to get up into the roof!!


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

You don't have your location listed. This is a big help. 
Then they miss measured and screwed up the installation. Not having proper support for the gutter back will be an issue. If you live in a snow zone, the gutters will bend downward under load of ice/snow.
Big box contractors, in my estimation, are half assed at best. 
Your job, 1/64 th assed.


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## qwiksilvertrav (Feb 18, 2013)

I'm in MN so ice damns will be a huge issue then based off what you said. Calling Home Depot to have them come back out a 3rd time.....


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## craig11152 (Jun 20, 2015)

It looks like your fascia is angled to the roof rather than plumb cut? If so they should have installed gutter wedges at every fastener.


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

The space behind the gutters --going up- looks consistent and the gutter is plumb as is the barge rafter tail cut; where the coil stock wraps the exposed end past the gutter- as in last picture. I think your fascia board is also plumb. Another picture from above on that gable end would help to solve if roofing extends too far from fascia or not- using the 4" ? gutter width as a gauge.

In second pic, what is the white material in the gap (at top) at the first triple vent from downspout that appears to be holding the gutter away from fascia?

In third pic, what is material with jagged edges at first vent from inside corner? Notice the fascia installer used the trim for soffit leaving it at a 90* when plumb face on fascia and rake (more than 90*) on soffit, hence the wavy appearance of that trim as the metal vertical edge flares into the gap where not fastened. Check the inside corner, it is plumb- metal trim not bent enough is all.

Gary


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

Your going to need gutter straps.
Straps are set a 16"
Each end has a tie back and every 32" in between.


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## qwiksilvertrav (Feb 18, 2013)

Well Home Depot called back and told me the installer had come out to take a look and said that the gutters are all perfectly straight where the fascia in that location is not and that there's nothing he could do. I'll try to take some more pics.
Whats weird is this was NOT an issue with the prior gutters installed! My main two issues are critters (BATS) getting up in there and into my roof and also the gutters not holding weight of any ice dams in these locations. 
Pretty frustrated being that I paid 2500 for this. 
Don't get me wrong they DO work and rain comes flying out of the spouts but these gaps concern me...I'll call Home Depot and see what I can do.


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## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

If you are worried about that gap and ice-load you could make yourself a piece of trim to fill the bottom few inches of the gap. To do a nice job of it would take a table saw. Use the same material the fascia is made of.

That would look better than a bunch of wedges.


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

I'd not worry about the bats until you actually see one landing into that crevice. Wasps, maybe.
Your concern with that homedepot job is already mentioned, that it is hanging without the bottom support. It will not stay square to the facia. When it bends, the slope may change and gutter may not drain.


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Call with a link to this tread and show over 300 views so far... maybe a Regional Manager will see it, lol. 

Gary


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

Home Depot only sells 10' sections.
That looks like run offs, gutter truck.

Any way, they messed up the inside miter, looks like crap.
Miters are never done with screws, pop rivets are used.

Windows on Wash mentioned something first post.
If your rafter tails are cut wrong for gutter installation you must use the straps.

The installer should have refused the job until the proper materials could be used.


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## qwiksilvertrav (Feb 18, 2013)

Ok well I had called and requested a different contractor come to take a look. I talked to him over the phone and he confirmed there were some problems with the install. He said he would talk to the project manager and have him get back to me. Well it's been a good 2 - 3 months and he FINALLY called me back! I mean really?

He then stated that my fascia boards are rotten and that's why they couldn't install the gutters flush the fascia! The fascia is wrapped and has been wrapped...no idea how they got to this conclusion without even removing the wrap to take a look at the wood. He said they had to use the old brackets of the old gutters to install them. As far as I can see there's a good 1 inch of screw you can see in the gap just going into the fascia and no sign of "old brackets". And it's amazing how it took this long for the installer to relay this message to me. I think they're full of crap! Like I stated before the prior gutters where flush ,sturdy and functional but they were just rusted out which is why we replaced them.

Now I have ice damns building up a little and you can see the gapped parts of the gutter starting to flex and sag a little. 

Also if you look at the back side of the house's gutter the center is all flush to the fascia while the ends buckle out and are gapped. It almost seems like the entire piece was cut to long and it wouldn't fit.

So now what should I do?? I should get a regional manager involved in this I'm thinking.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Call a contractor not associated with Home Cheapo and offer to pay him for his time to inspect and document the install. That's the only way you will ever get an honest report.

Once you have that you play hard ball with Big Orange.


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## qwiksilvertrav (Feb 18, 2013)

Yep I'll try this final attempt and see what happens by speaking to someone who's hopefully a bit more helpful or experienced. If that goes no where and I can't get them out here to see whats all wrong then I'll take that route. If I do have to pay maybe in the end I can get HD to cover the bill.


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## qwiksilvertrav (Feb 18, 2013)

Well had a couple of guys come out. I guess there is no fascia...just the tail ends of board that are wrapped. So their suggesting unwrapping it and installing a fascia board then going from there. I'd be paying for the entire fascia install though of course. ugh


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## craig11152 (Jun 20, 2015)

qwiksilvertrav said:


> Well had a couple of guys come out. I guess there is no fascia...just the tail ends of board that are wrapped. So their suggesting unwrapping it and installing a fascia board then going from there. I'd be paying for the entire fascia install though of course. ugh


:surprise:
That could be a dilemma. That kicks out everything 3/4 of an inch. That could mean your soffit panels are too short and it could mean your shingles are too short since they need to kick past a drip edge that is moving 3/4 inch. :vs_OMG:


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## Jnaas2 (Mar 29, 2014)

Im a licensed contractor and I was contacted by a company that handles installs for a big box company, They are the middle Man, After the big box store and middle man take there cut it doesn't leave much for the Person actually doing the work, I passed on doing the work, Just because its a big box store its still the guy getting the smallest percentage of the money if they get paid at all that does the work, In his case they get what they pay for


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