How to Replace Gutter Hangers

Lead Image for How to Replace Gutter Hangers
  • 8-10 hours
  • Beginner
  • 30
What You'll Need
Gutter hangers @ $2.88 ea.
Tall ladder
Work gloves
Drill, drill bits
Screws
What You'll Need
Gutter hangers @ $2.88 ea.
Tall ladder
Work gloves
Drill, drill bits
Screws

Gutter hangers are the parts of the gutter system that fasten the gutters to the eaves of the roof of your home. They are essential in keeping the gutter secure and play an important role in the gutter system’s durability and efficiency. There are all sorts of gutter hangers available on the market, although chances are the hangers that are keeping your gutter affixed to your house at the moment are the ones that were included with your gutter system kit. Unfortunately, some of these common hangers are of poor quality and are easily bent, meaning that over time these cheaper hangers can result in sagging, drooping gutters that drift away from your home and thus are increasingly unable to do their job. If this is your situation, it’s probably time to replace your gutter hangers. Luckily, this is a fairly easy job to do yourself. Just check out the how-to guide below to learn more.

Step 1 – Remove the Old Gutter Hangers

The first step to replacing your gutter hangers is to remove the old ones. You’ll need an extra set of hands for this step, to help hold old parts, screws, and keep the ladder steady while you work. Fortunately, in most cases, you won’t need to remove the entire gutter system to replace the gutter hangers; you can simply replace them one by one. Start with your first old gutter hanger. Unhook it from the lip of the gutter, and then use your drill to unscrew it from underneath the shingles of your roof. You or your helper will have to keep a firm hand underneath the gutter itself to keep it steady during this process. Remove the old hanger and discard it, then replace it with a new one, proceeding in this manner from hanger to hanger.

Step 2 – Install the New Gutter Hangers

Take your new gutter hanger, and put it into the place where the old one was. First, affix the hooked part of the hanger to the exterior lip of the gutter. With your hand, press the gutter closer towards the facade of your house, to ensure that the hanger will do a good job of keeping it in place. Then, using your drill, screw the other end of the hanger into the roof fascia, through the flashing, and underneath the hangers. This should keep them relatively hidden. You may find it a little bit difficult when screwing the hangers into place if they come with larger screws. The pros recommend addressing this issue by starting the drill at high speed, allowing the tip of the screw to pierce the metal, and then apply pressure to push the screw the rest of the way through.

Step 3 – Use More Hangers than Before

If you’re replacing your gutter hangers because you’ve been troubled with sagging and drooping gutters, another part of the problem may be that not enough hangers had been installed previously. You should install gutter hangers about every 2 feet down the length of the gutter.