Box Gutters

Colleen, are you still waiting for an answer???

Yes, I'm still waiting for an answer.

Since you are a patient person and nobody else answered, here goes.....

This is a very complicated subject and will require a thoughtful decision on your part.

Box gutters are a constant pain. One reason good roofing contractors really do not want to repair them is that they know that eventually they will probably leak again somewhere, if not at the repair. They have a reputation and don't want to tarnish it through a dissatisfied customer. Another reason is that it is not a big money maker for them. They could probably do three or more complete roofs in the time it would take them to repair yours.

The best time of the year to contract this job to a roofer would be during their slow season. In PA it would be in the very late fall (after the really cold weather sets) and before the heavy snows of January (when the ice dams cause problems). You may even want to look into a quality general contractor. Check their references and ask them to explain in detail how they are going to repair the gutters.

My personal choice would be to remove and replace the entire system with new wood all the way around and new lining. I realize cost is a factor, but if done properly you would have many years of service before repairs would be required again. Avoid using the common pressure treated wood, as these have a tendency to walk over time.

Your wanting to retain the look is a capital idea. Here in Pittsburgh, we have many old homes that used box gutters and when people installed aluminum gutters it took away the charm of the house. If you do opt to extend the roofline for the aluminum, do not let them throw a piece of wood over the box gutters. This fix has a tendency to bow over time creating a leaking situation.

One last item. If you go for the repair or replacement, have them line the interior of the whole gutter with a rubber membrane. If properly sealed it should last a good 20 or 30 years. If I missed anything let me know...

Dr. Home...I'm in Pittsburgh and am having the same dilemna - replace or reline. I'm also having a hard time finding someone to take the job. Are you in the business? Or do you have someone to recommend? lindsaywmu@hotmail.com

Thanks!

We also live in Pa and have an older home with box gutters. They have terne coated steel, that my husband painted over the years. He has gotten older and now can not do the needed work and repair. I take it that you can not buy terne coated steel anymore, and we were told to replace it with either copper or stainless steel which is very expensive, or just take them off. The house was built in 1924, and the box gutters have worked very well over all of this time. What should we do, since I read that a lot of the options to repair them really do not work.

Thanks for any info on this subject.

box gutter can be repaired several different ways
patch and cover with the holes with metal then line inside with rubber.you can also make a new cap to go over the top too keep the look
the wood can be replaced and painted or replace and cover with
metal so you will not have to paint them. you can also seal the inside with a silicone coating that we use. But what ever action you take it is not cheap. If you remove the and extend the roof
and hang gutter that also may cost more then the repair.most
box gutter are 30 to40 feet high that also makes the cost go up

hi,i have a problem that i dont think is going to go away,in my bedroom ive just replastered my bedroom, and my house is an old terrace that was built in 1900. where the window is its all plasterboared and ive also had a new lintel concrete put inside as i didnt have one. but this then cracked the stone lintel from outside, i was told from a man from the home insurance that i just needed to point ouside and it would be ok. the reaon sorry... was i asked insurance man round is because i was getting water clear inside bedroom plasterbd.any how then a builder looked at gutters said they were clear, and that i have eve guards up and have got a glass fibre gutter which has helped save alot of water coming in previously and it stopped.

ive also had someone tell me i need a boxgutter, im worried as i dont have money for anything big, and dont know where water is getting in? have you any idea what i need or where its coming from. tiles on my roof have also been checked. please reply as im at my wits end where this bit of water is coming from, on the plasterbd bits of small plaster has dropped off and it seems the plasterd bd may be holding water.

thank you jayne

We are still having a problem of finding a solution to our Box Gutters on our older home. The last quote we had was to line the gutters with copper since the wood is still in good shape and replace the slate with high grade shingles. The cost was $45,000 which is really a high price since we are seniors. We don't like the option of going over the gutters, or using rubber and just repairing them, since we read that this does not last long. I was wondering if any of the previous writers did any repair on their box gutters and how it was done and the cost?

Yes, the aesthetics will change. If you want to keep the look, which I would recommend since I let roofers do what some suggest and yuck! Lost the look that is so much different and better. I just saw on Home Advisor roofing company's that like and specialize in older style or unique roofs. Find them! They exist and they aren't the ones ruining commercials. They are in business serving a smaller market. Home advisor or Houzz is another place to research who in your area knows how to preserve a homes value.

Hi everyone! I have been a home improvement contractor in central Ohio for 32 years and I just wanted to give you all my opinion on this subject. I work on a lot of historic homes in Columbus and Lancaster and most of these have either box gutters or step gutters. If your box gutters are leaking the best way to fix them is to remove everything in the gutter including the old metal, make sure all of the wood is in good shape, and reline them with either copper or steel. Lining box gutters with rubber or other products will, in a best case scenario, last only several years. You will then more than likely start getting leaks. And in a worst case scenario the gutters could start leaking almost immediately, although if the leak(s) are minor you might not notice them until the wood underneath starts to rot and let you know. This could happen if the person installing the rubber or other product does not know what they are doing. If you have to repair your box gutters do it right and they should last the rest of your life. Any further questions feel free to email me at gregmorgan01@hotmail.com

The email I left in my previous post was incorrect. It should be gregmorgan01@hotmail.com

What material to use to extend the roofing over box gutters? Plywood?

I am a contractor in Central Ohio and I do a lot of work on historic homes with box gutters. I can tell you without question that the only way to roperly restore a box gutter is to remove the old metal and then reinstall new metal. I don't even know how many box gutters with rubber membranes I've looked at that were a leaking mess. And other alleged solutions to this project are at best short term. If you need advice feel free to email me at gregmorgan01@hotmail.com since I don't check this forum very often. Good luck to everyone with your projects...

is stainless steal necessary for box gutters?

I bought a home in northern west Virginia built in 1900, it needed a roof and has box gutters
The company I choose is called SHIELD Roofing they gave an estimate that included replacing the metal and lining of the box gutters so we could keep the original profile of the home. Other contractors quotes just covered them put on standard rain gutters

I am presently making repairs to my box gutters. I am using fiberglass resin with cloth.then coating with liquid rubber. Bought from amazon for about $150per 5 gals

User Dr Home, hi, I'm in Pittsburgh too! We have a lot of trouble with our box gutters because they're very shallow at the high point, they are sloped pretty well but it looks like they've been lined and lined again over the years making the entire length quite shallow (looks like rubber). At the center high point it's probably a quarter inch below the lip. During a heavy rain it just pours over the edge (making out basement damp, working on the grading). Do we need to have the previous lining removed and start over? Any suggestions welcome!

I also have that problem. I finally found someone honest and knows about historic homes and the materials that need to be used to last!

anyone in pittsburgh have good luck with a contractor rebuilding the box gutters?

I have had great results coating box gutters with Karnak ar229 brush grade. It is a liquid rubber coating.

Commenting only because I'm also from Pittsburgh and looking for box gutter repair! What are the chances. Please let me know too if there's any good Pittsburgh contractors for box gutter repair work.

Same...Pittsburgher here. Looking for box gutter help/work done. Figured I would add my comment, too. This has been a very helpful thread. If anyone knows of someone good in the area, let us know!

Our historical society, here in North Jersey, has a old house we need to repair/replace the box/hidden gutters. Searching for an appropriate contractor, here in the Union county area. Has anyone in my area had any experience with this/ Thanks Rick

Wow, way to represent Yinzers! Neat to run into so many Pittsburghers in one thread. :)

I specialize in box gutters with several different tiers of repair and replacement options depending on the condition of the gutters. There are good products available for protective coating for box gutters that need maintenance but are in generally good condition, and patching options for small localized areas of decay, as well as holistic re-lining with seamless hot air welded PVC membranes or full rebuilding of the boxes and installation of new soldered copper panels. We can help to assess and recommend a strategy specific to your home.

You can reach me at joseph@eastenders.co or call 412-376-3435 and we'll do our best to assist you.

Thank you, Joseph

I love how this thread started in 1999 and ended up in 2019.
I am about to take on a box gutter repair.

I have my boxed gutters cleaned, patched and painted every few years and haven't had any problems. The key is routine maintenance. I can recommend a good roofing company for box gutters. Award roofing.

I used Coffey Contacting for my box gutters and roof. I live in Pittsburgh as well. Hope this helps

Looking for someone in the Lexington KY area. Had box gutters reclined but they are leaking at the seams after 1 year. Huge problem now!

Super appreciative to have found some Pittsburgh specific recommendations! Its so hard to even find a roofer here...legitimate box-gutter pros seemed impossible. (I've been looking for years. Most don't even call back but none that have are up to snuff. I guess being a civil engineer & amateur preservationist makes me a tough customer? Knowing more about the products than the prospective installers do is a real turnoff too. *hard eyeroll*) This gives me a little hope that I won't be uncovering & restoring/rebuilding 160ft of box gutters on my 1893 house all by myself. My current roof-strap hung K-style aluminum gutters are a nightmare & they're ugly too.
♡ Sonya

Feb 2021. Looking also for a box gutter pro. Ice issue last week. Water in house. We've always maintained our roof. Want a good, efficient and lasting repair job.

We live in Pittsburgh PA and used MTZ Roofing & Remodeling for our box gutter challenges.

We own multiple rental properties along with our main home all of which had box gutters. Sometimes if they were in good shape we would have the seams sealed while scraping and painting with silicon base paint (not sure of the brand, but I do know the paint is pricey and it takes labor to prep and apply correctly). We replaced some of our roofs and in that case would cut off the box gutter (where we could) or would cover over and replace them with aluminum gutters which were easier to maintain, plus the final product just looked better. If you live in older parts of Pittsburgh box gutters become your nemesis:)

Hi from Pittsburgh in 2021! I’m also looking for box gutter repair. This thread has helped me feel less alone haha.

Hi! Own a few properties in pgh with box gutters. My seams are bad; split, cracked and in need of repair. It’s near impossible to find someone who can solder them. Anyone have such luck with box gutter repair?

Hi, I can't believe I stumbled onto this forum with so many Pittsburghers. I happen to be a contractractor in Pittsburgh who primarily works on specialty roofs (slate, terracotta, rubber, concrete tile, torch down, etc..) as well as box gutter repair. Repairing box gutters is a huge chunk of the work I do. I agree with one of the previous posts, in that the best thing you can do with box gutters is routine maintenance. What I recommend to all of my customers is to have your box gutters maintained and repainted about every 5 years. If you have any questions feel free to email me at pittsburghkingcontracting@gmail.com.