Home improvements

First, you’ll want to remove the downspouts from your home. Some of my downspouts actually fell right out of my gutters when I wiggled them, but some had been screwed or even nailed into place. Since I wasn’t going to be reusing any of my aluminum gutters or downspouts, I decided to take a “demolition” sort of approach to getting them down and quickly broke out the reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade. I carefully cut screws and sections of downspouts where needed and the work was pretty quick.

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Next, I started concentrating on two to three foot sections of aluminum gutter. I’d quickly survey the section, make a cut with my reciprocating saw, and then go about removing the screws, nails and brackets that were holding it up. Some sections were just held up with the traditional gutter nails and brackets, but some were tied to my fascia boards with all sorts of screws. This was an obvious attempt by the previous homeowner to keep the gutter from sagging or leaking at some point in the distant past.

 

By the way, you want to be careful when you’re working on ladders, using a saw and especially when you’re working with old, sharp, metal edges. Wear thick leather gloves and eye protection and take your time. I was especially careful about dropping nails and screws into the flower beds below my gutters because I didn’t really want my wife or kids to be digging or reaching into a flower bed and end up with a rusty nail in their hands.