Gutter installation in Coeur d'Alene has to account for two things: heavy snow and pine needles. Gutters sized and hung for a mild climate get ripped off by sliding snow and plugged by needles here.
We install seamless aluminum gutters, rolled on site to the exact length of each run so there are no joints to leak along the straight sections. The 5-inch K-style suits most homes, and we go to 6-inch with larger downspouts on big roof areas or steep roofs that dump a lot of water fast.
Hangers matter more than people think. We use hidden hangers screwed into the fascia at close spacing, which holds up better under ice than the old spike-and-ferrule style that pulls out. The back of the gutter goes up under the drip edge so water cannot run behind it and rot the fascia.
Downspouts go where the water can drain away from the foundation, not onto a walkway that turns into an ice rink in January. We add extensions or tie into existing drains where there are any.
For homes under pines and firs, we can add gutter guards. No guard is perfect with long needles, but a good mesh guard cuts cleaning way down. On metal roofs we talk about snow guards first, because a gutter on a metal eave without them rarely makes it through a winter.
If the fascia is soft, see soffit and fascia repair.
