Whittier, CA
Gutters and drainage in Whittier
Gutters are the least interesting part of a roof and the cause of a surprising share of its problems.
Describe the gutters job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three Whittier contractors who do this work.
You are on the list.
No provider in Whittier is taking requests through this service yet. We are lining them up, and yours is kept until one can.
- Nobody gets your details yet. Your request stays with us and is not passed to any company.
- One email when someone can help. When a provider covering your area can take it on, we email you once and ask whether you want that company, by name, to contact you.
- Deleted after 90 days. If nobody can take it on, or you do not say yes, your contact details are deleted 90 days after your request.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
Nobody will call you about this request unless you say yes to a company by name.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a gutters job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Gutter size against the roof area draining into it
- Condition of the fascia behind the old gutter
- Number and position of downspouts
- Where the water is discharged, and how far from the foundation
- Seamless or sectional, and what gauge of aluminium
Slope should be about a quarter inch per ten feet toward the outlet. Too little and it stands, too much and it looks wrong from the street.
Guards reduce cleaning; they do not eliminate it. Treat any product sold as maintenance-free with suspicion.
Size matters more than people think. Five-inch gutter on a large steep roof will overshoot in heavy rain no matter how clean it is.
Locally
Then, less dramatically: the marine layer keeping the north slope damp. Slopes that never get direct sun stay wet for hours after the fog burns off, and that is where moss, lifted shingles and soft decking start.
About gutters here
Is moss on the roof a problem?
Yes, eventually. Moss holds water against the shingle and lifts the edges as it thickens. Zinc or copper strip at the ridge suppresses it. Pressure washing an asphalt roof strips the granules and does more harm than the moss did.
How quickly will someone call?
Most requests are picked up the same day, often within an hour. Emergencies are prioritised. If you have not heard anything by the next morning, check voicemail — contractors usually call from a mobile.
What time of year is best to re-roof in Whittier?
Here, the long dry run from May to October is the easy window. November through March is when the phone rings hardest, which means less flexibility on dates and less room on price.
Why does ventilation keep coming up?
It is the most under-sold part of a roof. Trapped heat and moisture shorten shingle life, warp decking, and in cold weather it is what turns snow into an ice dam.
Get the roof looked at
Free, no obligation, and your details go to no company until you say yes.