The storm that dumped over a foot of snow on Long Island over the weekend should be a reminder to everyone of the importance of winterizing the home. Winterizing your home ensures the safety of you and your family and the structural integrity of your home.

• If your gutter is not free of debris, it can become clogged and will fill with water. This will lead to the formation of solid ice that may be heavy enough to rip your gutter off the house. This could cause serious damage to the gutter and injure anyone walking underneath.
• When the weather warms up water can cascade over the gutter and penetrate the foundation, causing ancillary damage to the foundation.
• Water pouring over the gutter can also lead to ice formation causing someone to slip and fall.

Leaf protection using Alcoa Leaf Relief™ products protects your gutters from clogging and saves your time and money when it comes to winterizing your house.

With all the rain this year, chances are you have begun to notice water spots appearing on some ceilings around your home. Perhaps you also have a stronger than usual musty odor wafting up from the basement and have made a mental note to look into purchasing a dehumidifier next year. And, as you finish raking wet leaves, you feel relieved that your garden chores are over for the season.

Not so soon, friends. Climb a ladder and check out the condition of your rain gutters and downspouts. Are the downspouts firmly attached to the corners of your house? Are the gutters pulling away from or parallel to your roof’s edges? Have birds or squirrels made your soffits their winter residence? Lastly…has your gutter protection system failed? Is it somehow clogged with leaves and debris that have penetrated its so-called barriers?

It is not too late to call Island Gutters to inspect and replace your failing gutter system. Our solutions are affordable and customizable. Our water, leaf and debris barrier systems will prevent thousands of dollars of potential water damage to your home. Backed by the industry’s best warranty, Island Gutters’ systems will protect your home for 25 years or more.

Do not delay; call Island Gutters today for fast service and affordable leaf protection and gutter systems. For integrity, reliability and service, call Island Gutters (Nassau: 516-922-0044 or Suffolk: (631-979-8866) for all your home or business´ rain gutter, soffit and fascia replacement and drainage system needs today! Ask about our 25 year warranty.

Gutters, leaders, downspouts and their accessories are not as exciting a home or property upgrade as some others. However, with a well-built, custom-installed gutter system, other major home investments, such as your roof, siding, windows, doors, foundation and basement will be protected from costly structural repairs or even replacement.

If you have ever tapped into a line-of-credit to replace the windows and doors in your home, perhaps this scenario will be familiar. You bought the best windows and doors you could afford from a carefully screened contractor. On installation day the contractor tells you that the job will now take several days and cost significantly more because every window and door frame has to be replaced due to rot caused by water damage. Or there is a ‘mystery puddle’ in your basement every time it rains…could mold be hiding behind the drywall? What will remediation cost? Where does this damaging moisture come from? Chances are from a poorly manufactured, installed or failing gutter system.

The point is a reliable gutter system will not cost home or property owners a great deal. Think of it as preventative maintenance. A new or replacement gutter system from Island Gutters will enhance the appearance of your home and successfully carry water from your roof safely away from your structure.

It is very likely that your home already has a gutter system. However, if it is over 25 years old it possibly can fail. Walk the perimeter of your home checking for downspouts that have pulled away from the siding and breaks in the gutters themselves. Please do not think you can save a few dollars by visiting a home center and repairing damage yourself. Caulking is only a Band Aid® fix. Perhaps the gutters are clogged with debris. Do you know that a low cost leaf deterrent system can easily be adapted for existing gutters? This can not only save dollars but also cross an unpleasant and unsafe chore off your ‘to do’ list. And if you are replacing your roof, it is an ideal time to replace your gutters and leaders with an affordable, customized drainage system from Island Gutters.

Island Gutters is a leading water deterrent system installer and offers a 25 year guarantee warranty. Island Gutters has been chosen by Alcoa to install their renowned ‘Leaf Relief’ system on Long Island, New York. Do not delay, call Island Gutters today (Nassau: 516-922-0044
Suffolk: 631-979-8866) for the peace of mind a reliable, affordable gutter system can provide you and your home.

As soon as the thermometer starts to dip, Long Island homeowners begin to think of protecting their chief asset from winter’s arctic blasts.   Energy conservation often tops the list of homeowner concerns when winterizing their houses.  While installing weather stripping and other heat loss protection products are important, do not overlook your home’s gutter system when preparing for winter.

Gutter system?  Isn’t that something you have installed ‘off the shelf’ from a home improvement warehouse, pay for once and forget?  Or believe that an aftermarket metal mesh gutter cover tucked under your shingles and resting atop your gutter will suffice?  When the leaves turn and fall from our trees, they can clog many inferior leaf systems necessitating the time consuming and often dangerous chore to remove debris from your home’s gutter system.   And as many homeowners in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties have discovered, the inexpensive gutter guard system they purchased in pre-cut sections from their local home improvement warehouse can easily dislodge and often blow away.  The result?  Gutters that are clogged with leaves, twigs, bird nests, insect hives and more.  Clogged gutters are ineffective gutters.  Ineffective gutters can cost homeowners thousands of dollars in damage and repairs.

What is the solution?  A permanent Leaf Protection System solution custom-fitted on site by Island Gutters.  Island Gutters offers the finest quality products and has professionally installed over 1000 systems locally.  For your peace-of-mind, Island Gutters stands behind their work with a 25-year warranty.  Island Gutters is the Alcoa Preferred Contractor on Long Island and installs the Alcoa Leaf Relief™ system.  This patented system allows rain to flow off your roof and down your drain spout where it is conveyed to drain a safe distance from your roof and foundation, preventing winter ice-dams and costly structural damage.  It cannot be breached by animals, twigs or leaves and other debris. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Island Gutters today at (516) 922-0044 (Nassau) or (631) 979-8866 (Suffolk).

If you are a do-it-yourselfer you’ll have gained a few precious weekend hours for another more enjoyable activity.  If the semi-annual chore of gutter cleaning has been performed for you, your system will pay for itself in a very short time.  Most important, you’ll be protecting your single-most important investment –your home- from expensive roof, foundation and ceiling damage for many years to come.

Rain gutters:

Rain gutters are one of the most taken for granted parts of a house.   Rain gutters collect and divert rainwater from the roof.  This keeps the water from falling off roof edges and causing damage to paint and siding and deterioration of the block foundation.

Rain gutters are available in variety of profiles, materials and styles.  Gutters are available with gutter screens, hoods and louvers that prevent leaves and debris from clogging up the gutter.  Gutters drains can be hooked up to underground drainage systems that lead to a collection area.

A glossary of terms that appear on IslandGutters.com:

• Conductor Clips: These are used to secure the downspout.   Two clips are required for every 10 feet of downspout.

• Drainage system: Gutters and drainpipes that carry water away from the foundation of a house in order to prevent water damage.  Visit our underground drainage systems page.

• Elbow: Pre-finished angled piece for directing water flow.

• End Cap: Flat formed piece that is placed at the end of a gutter section.  Visit our soffitting, capping and fascia page.

• Fascia: A flat board running horizontally along the eaves that caps the ends of the roof rafters and provides a base for attaching gutters.  Visit our soffitting, capping and fascia page.

• Gauge: The thickness of the gutter.

• Hanger: A flat strap that is installed under roofing material to hold up the horizontal section of the gutter.

• Leader: A pipe that carries rainwater from the gutters to the ground, sewers, or wells.

• Soffit: The underside of your eaves (structural overhangs).  Outdated soffits can cause ventilation problems.  Visit our soffitting, capping and fascia page.

• Spike and Ferrule: A metal cylinder or tube is placed inside the gutter to strengthen it and keep it from bending. The spike is driven through the face of the gutter at the top, through the ferrule and into the wood fascia board.  Island Gutters uses hidden hanger clips and screws.  These are stronger and allow for better long-term maintenance.