Should I Replace My Wood Gutters?

Homeowners often ask if they should replace their failing wood gutters with new wood gutters.

The answer is "No!"—for a number of reasons.

Time for new gutters!

1) Wood is not what it used to be. The wooden gutters on your house were probably made from redwood or cypress. These are highly rot-resistant woods that can last many years if properly maintained. Of course, proper maintenance is rare, which is why they end up rotting. Unfortunately, wood gutters today are made from fast-growth fir, which may only last a few years. In fact, I've seen gutters rotting at the lumber yard before they were even sold!

2) Wood gutters have very low capacity. The walls of a wood gutter are over 1" thick, so the internal area of the gutter that actually holds water is quite small. In fact, Duragutter gutters match the exterior profile of wood gutters while holding exactly twice the volume, because the aluminum walls are only 1/8" thick.

3) The outlets (connection from gutter to downspout) on wood gutters are very small. These serve as a chokepoint that limits the gutter's ability to drain quickly in heavy rain before overflowing. The custom shape of a Duragutter outlet allows 4 times the flow, and is much less likely to become clogged with debris.

Traditional lead outlets (left) in wood gutters have 1/4 the flow of Duragutter outlets (right)

4) The basic design of wood gutter intersections is inherently flawed. Wherever a wood gutter intersects another piece of wood (a molding, another gutter, house wall, etc) a piece of metal flashing is used to keep the water from rotting the adjacent surface. This detail fails 99% of the time, resulting in makeshift repairs commonly seen on older homes.

Lead flashing failure allows water from wood gutters to rot adjacent surfaces

 Duragutter has a patented system of internal PVC plugs that keep the water from ever touching adjacent surfaces.

The plug is sealed with sealant to prevent water from touching adjacent surfaces

Duragutter was created to enable homeowners, builders, and architects to exactly recreate traditional wood gutter details in a maintenance-free material.

Founder Story

Accidental Beginnings

People often ask how I transitioned from designing and building custom homes to selling Duragutter. Actually, I never set out to invent or market a product—it happened entirely by accident.

Fifteen years ago, I was designing and constructing a 4,000-square-foot addition for a historic Mission Style house featuring rich original details. The home's existing wood gutters had leaked over time and were lined with copper. Wanting to preserve the original architectural profile, I looked for alternatives. Traditional wood gutters made from durable Redwood or Cypress are no longer available, and modern Fir gutters rot within a few years. Fiberglass alternatives were cost-prohibitive.

Mission Style House with Wood Gutters

Since I frequently design modern homes and appreciate aluminum for its wood-like workability, durability, and resistance to warping or rotting, I explored designing a custom extrusion. I discovered that commissioning a custom die to manufacture extruded aluminum gutters matching the original wood profile was actually the most economical solution. The gutters were extruded and powder-coated, and the finished result looked flawless.

From Project Surplus to Growing Business

Because the extruder required a minimum order quantity, I ended up with extra inventory. Local architects and contractors saw the finished project and asked to buy the left-over pieces, which sold out quickly. Soon after, a nearby homeowner with a large Victorian wanted to replace all his gutters.

I faced a choice- While fully booked with design work, the idea of starting from scratch to create an architecturally correct, highly durable gutter system that any skilled installer could easily assemble was intriguing. I refined the initial concept to make it stronger and simpler to install. I produced the new gutters and was  inadvertently in the part-time gutter business.

Later, while working on a contemporary home design that called for a sleek box gutter, I commissioned a second die utilizing the same hidden connector framework. The new profile gained traction immediately. Before long, the gutter operation demanded half my time, while my son Doug took on a larger share of managing our architectural practice.

I Designed the Modern Box Gutter for This Project

Scaling Up and Looking Ahead

Over the past few years, demand grew to the point where Doug and I decided to commit to the gutter business full time. After completing our final home design project, we scaled operations by leasing a warehouse and hiring a manager to oversee order processing. What began as a single custom profile has expanded into a line of twelve distinct shapes designed to meet diverse functional and aesthetic requirements.

After forty years in residential design, I feel accomplished and don't miss building houses. Today, I focus on developing new product innovations—including an upcoming line of downspouts—and advising architects on integrating Duragutter into their plans. Collaborating with design professionals across North America on a broader spectrum of projects than I handled in New England is rewarding, allowing me to leverage the technical expertise I’ve built since launching my design/build career in 1976.

Afterthoughts

For a variety of reasons, gutters are often an afterthought. Sometimes a house is designed without gutters and they are added later (usually after a flooded basement). Often the designer just leaves it to the builder to choose the gutter and related details like downspout locations and end conditions. This is surprising as the gutters and downspouts are one of the most visible exterior trim elements. I have seen many beautifully detailed houses and buildings ruined with cheap and/or poorly conceived gutter details.

This is a carefully detailed house

The downspouts and elbows were clearly an afterthough

Let's stop ruining nice buildings with details like this!