HELP! Gutter Installation - Excessive Roof Overhang...


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Old 09-16-09, 06:45 AM
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HELP! Gutter Installation - Excessive Roof Overhang...

Hi guys! I have a question for you gutter installation experts. I have a 1900 A-frame and would like to have gutters installed on one side (the other side has a somewhat more modern farmers porch and gutters already). The gutters are being installed to improve drainage and reduce humidity in the basement (fieldstone). Also, please note that I live in New England and snow/ice is a concern. The length of the roofline requiring the gutter is 40ft.

On the side of the house that I would like to install gutters, there is an excessive roof overhang. The drip edge is 5.5 inches away from the fascia. I am about to replace the fascia and I am trying to think of a way to install the gutters. What is the best way to go about doing this?

Should I put a 1.5 inch spacer (pressure treated) behind the gutter? Most gutters are 5 inches wide correct? That would leave only 1 inch of the gutter on the outside of the drip edge.

Could I use two pieces of pressure treated for a 3 inch spacer? That would place the middle of the gutter right under the drip edge. This doesn't sound too strong to me. Would a gutter full of ice just act as a lever and pull the screws out?

I guess another option is to use dimensional pine as the fascia instead of standard fascia board. It is stronger and thicker right? Then cut a piece of pressure treated 4x4 down to a thickness of 2.5 inches. Then the drip edge would be right in the middle of the five inch gutter.

The roof decking is made of pine board and the overhang is composed of wood shingles hanging off of the pine board. The asphalt roofing shingles are old and not in great shape (another project), so I don't think the roof mount brackets would work in my situation.

Sorry for the long explanation....I'm just looking for the best option, if one even exists. You guys have always been a great help! Thanks in advance!
 

Last edited by BigOldXJ; 09-16-09 at 07:58 AM.
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Old 09-16-09, 04:36 PM
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I guess I don't understand why you have the excessive overhang, and would be prone to recommend you cut it off, and replace/repair the first row of shingles.

For instance, many fiberglass/asphalt roofs will have shingles that have a 5" exposure. So realistically, you might be able to cut 5" off the roof and then slip "GUTTER APRON" under the shingles. Gutter apron is better than the usual 5" d-style drip edge, since gutter apron overhangs the gutter a good 2" to help direct water into the gutters.

So that's one suggestion for starters.
 
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Old 09-17-09, 05:40 AM
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Thank you for the response! I don't know why I have such an excessive overhang. We bought the house 2.5 years ago and we are finding all sorts of weird construction techniques.

My best guess on the excessive overhang is because of the existing crown moulding. It is in bad shape and will be permanently removed when I replace the fascia since gutters will be going up. The shingles overhang the crown moulding by 2-3 inches.

You know, I had thought about cutting the shingles back to where they "should" be after I remove the crown moulding and replace the fascia. I just didn't know if that was an acceptable repair technique. It does seems like the easiest and cheapest solution though. If I go this route I was planning to install a new drip edge but now I will into the gutter apron you mentioned. This is all reletively new to me and I'm not 100% familiar with it.

What would be the best tool to accomplish cutting the shingles? There is what...roughly 3/8 of wood shingle, the starter asphalt shingle, the top layer of shingle, and the aluminum drip edge to cut through right? Would a metal blade on a circular saw be best?

Keep the ideas coming! Thanks again!
 
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Old 09-17-09, 07:35 AM
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I would use a circular saw with a normal arbor blade on it, as long as the aluminum wasn't too thick, and there wasn't a chance of hitting any nails. It will make the straightest cut as long as you have a nice chalk line and a steady hand. Make sure you wear safety glasses, and if you're doing it from the roof, take the time to get to safe, comfortable position before starting a cut.

Or you could use a sawzall (reciprocating saw). It's probably better suited to make the cut, but it's very difficult to make your cut look straight
 
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Old 09-17-09, 08:18 AM
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Yeah....it will be interesting actually making the cut. The roof has a crazy pitch to it so I definetely won't be on the roof. I'd have to set up some scaffolding of some sort.

The only problem I'm afraid of is that the shingles are old. Probably approaching 20 years and are starting to get brittle. Would a finer tooth blade help prevent the old asphalt shingles from cracking and chipping? Can anyone reccomend a specific one?

I know you're tempted to say just hold off on the gutters until you do the roof, and do it the correct way all at the same time. Well...you'd be right. We just can't afford it at the moment, or the very near future. The roof is in reletively good shape and can last a few more years. We can afford the gutters and it will be a huge help with the moisture in the basement.

Keep em comin!
 
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Old 09-17-09, 10:21 AM
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This is probably a post you don't need, but gutters in NE can be a problem. Have you experienced any ice build-up during the winter? I'm wondering if that extended overhang might have been some attempt to reduce ice dam problems. The other factor is snow creep. My daughter has an "A" frame and heavy snow will creep down the roof, sometimes taking shingles with it, but certainly would take off any gutters. Ice problems sometimes only occur under very specific temperature conditions and it can be several years between occurrences so you might not have been there long enough to have seen the problem.

FYI
Bud
 
 

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