Why do roof and gutters belong in the same job in Stow?
Drip edge is the strip of aluminum that caps the edge of the roof deck. At the eave it should lap into the gutter, so water drops into the trough and not behind it. When a roof and its gutters are done by two companies months apart, that lap is where things go wrong. The roofer works around old gutters, or the gutter installer tucks new ones under a drip edge that was set for the old ones.
Doing both in one week fixes the order. Old gutters come down. Old shingles come off. The eave is open, so the fascia board and the deck edge can be seen and repaired. New drip edge goes on, then the roof, then the gutters are hung to meet it.
What happens at the roof edge during a replacement?
- Gutters off, if they are being replaced. Spike-hung gutters on older houses come away cleanly at this point.
- Tear-off. Shingles and the old edging come off down to the deck.
- Fascia and deck edge checked. Rot hides behind gutters. This is the one day it is fully in view.
- Ice and water shield and new drip edge along the eave.
- Starter strip, shingles and ridge vent.
- New gutters hung with the back edge behind the drip edge and sloped to the downspouts.
- Guards, if you want them, go on last.
Which Stow houses gain the most from doing both?
Start with the 1960s ranches around Call Road and Stow Road. Many gutters of that era were hung on long spikes driven through the fascia into the rafter ends. Sixty years of ice load loosens spikes and lets the gutter tilt forward. A new roof draining into a gutter that leans away from the house sends water down the fascia.
The 1990s colonials in Quail Highlands and Eastwicke Farms have the opposite problem. More roof feeds each gutter, and valleys concentrate water at the inside corners. If the gutters overshoot in heavy rain now, smooth new shingles will shed water even faster. That is the time to look at 6-inch gutters and at where the downspouts sit.
Stow's trees are the third reason. In a Tree City USA community, leaves, seeds and twigs are a given. A gutter packed with wet leaves holds water against the new drip edge and the fascia. In the secondary snowbelt, a clogged gutter also freezes solid and adds to the ice at the eave.
Must the gutters be replaced when the roof is?
No. If your gutters are sound, sloped right and firmly hung, they stay. The owner looks at the gutters and fascia during the roof inspection, and the photos let you judge their condition for yourself. Worn gutters are worth replacing while the eave is open. Good ones are left alone.
How is a roof and gutter job quoted?
The roof is one flat written quote. Gutters and guards are priced per linear foot after a free measurement. Both prices are written down, and both are good for a year. The owner inspects every job himself and sends a photo report the same day, so the roof edge is on record before anyone commits.
This site is about roofs, and the roof comes first. Mention the gutters when you call (330) 969-6096 or book online, and both get measured at the same visit.
More on the roof side: roof replacement in Stow, Stow roof replacement cost, and the page on 1960s ranch roofs on Call Road and Lynnwood Drive.
Have the roof edge looked at
One visit covers shingles, drip edge, fascia and gutters, with photos of each.