Q&A – What Gutter Lining Will Preserve 110-year-old Gutters?

A homeowner in Virginia wanted to know the best way to preserve the gutters on her 1910 home.  

April Jackson, a homeowner in Virginia, asked:  

“I have a home built 1910 and it has built in gutters is there a lining that can be put in and preserve these gutters?” 

Our resident expert roofer, John Stout with Go Roof Tune Up™, had this to say in response: 

Wow!  What a privilege you have to be able to restore a house that is over 110 years old!  I have no photos or detailed description of the house or the gutters, however, it appears that the gutters are wood and built into the cornice.  I understand that you would like to have the built-in gutters remain. 

Have a good quality roofing contractor that you trust get together with your carpenter.  Have your roofing contractor and your carpenter get their heads together to solve your gutter problem.  Then you can move ahead with your most interesting project.   

There are so many new products available for waterproofing.  A good quality roofing contractor will know the products and will know which is the best for your application.  He/she will also know what the cost is.  Avoid the suggestion that it cannot be done (until you are convinced that you don’t want to do it).  My experience has been to put confidence in the product that your roofing contractor recommends. 

He/she knows the product and will know what it will and will not do. Whatever the product is, it will not last 110 years without regular maintenance.  Clean the gutters of leaves and dirt annually.  Many years of service can be added to the life of your gutters if properly maintained.  Our hope is that you can personally oversee this annual maintenance project for the next 110 years. 

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