Project book · an afternoon

Put gutter guards on

Stops the ladder trips twice a year, and stops the overflow that rots the fascia behind it.

How much guttering?

feet

This fits in a car

About 40 lb of materials. Comfortably inside what a car carries (200 lb), so any shopper can take it. ⚠️ 2 items on the list have no weight on file, so the real load is a little heavier than this.

Before you start

Most of the risk here is the ladder, not the gutter. Set it on level ground at the right angle, use a standoff so it bears on the roof rather than crushing the gutter, and have somebody foot it. Do not lean sideways — get down and move it. A two-storey run is a job worth paying for.

What to buy — untick anything you have

Gutters

Hardware

Cleaning

Tools — already ticked off, since most people have them

Tools

Safety

It lands in the shopping form, where you can edit anything and say what you think each thing costs. Nothing is ordered until you send it.

How it goes · about an afternoon · some experience

  1. Clear the gutters out completely first and flush them with a hose — a guard over a blocked gutter is a blocked gutter you can no longer see.
  2. Check the downspouts run freely and seal any joint that is weeping.
  3. Cut the sections to length with the snips and set them in place, following which way up the maker says.
  4. Fix them down with the gutter screws rather than relying on the clip alone; wind lifts the unfixed ones.
  5. Run the hose over the roof afterwards and watch that the water goes in rather than over.

Something else

Build a raised garden bedMulch a flower bedPaint a roomPut up garage shelvingFix a patchy lawnBuild a fire pitMount a TV on the wallCookout for a crowd

Feeding people instead? The recipe book works the same way — pick a meal, say how many, every ingredient lands on the list.

Put gutter guards on — everything for it, in one tap · DriverRuns