Gutter project

 Our gutters suck.  They look awful, don't drain well, are rusty, smell, look ugly (in addition to awful), always need cleaning, and leak.

Ergo....this summer's house project.  We try to identify one project each summer, and do it.  Next year's will either be new external doors or screens for the whole house.  We are trying to delay the inevitable--repainting--as long as possible.  We will probably make that a three or four year project.

First step was being sick of the current gutters.  That was the easiest step.

 

 
 The next step was to remove these gutters that actually were sieves.  To do this meant a lot of slow, careful work.  They were held in by nails, but also by screws of various shapes and sizes.

I did all of the removal--Vicky held the ladder for me.

We have a very healthy respect for ladders.  In fact, if you notice, we are wearing our bicycle helmets when we are on the stepladders, even though Vicky held them for me the entire way around the house.  Bicycle helmets are a lot more useful when one is on a stepladder than when one is on a bicycle, but nobody seems to feel the way I do.  I started doing this long ago.

The gutter graveyard:

 

The next step was cleaning the fascia boards:

  

Next was painting.  This was easier, a lot easier, because we didn't have to go very high on the stepladders.  

 

 The final step was the easiest:  writing the check for the new gutters to be installed.  

Everything looks so nice and clean.  The roof is a 30-year metal roof, the fascia boards are painted, there are new gutters.  We are working our way down from the top of the house to......the.....part.....that.....needs.....repainting.