Bob, Ryley, carpenter Danny Ruffini, and copper work specialist Fred Mitchell install custom fabricated copper-lined wood gutters on Bob's home. Bob reviews the special cuts used to optimized the gluing surface. Ryley discusses the soffits and the copper that will line the gutters.

Bill Powers of GutterPro joins Bob at the Mashpee, Massachusetts, affordable home sites for the installation of their LeafGuard gutters. These gutters are fabricated on site with a specialized installation truck that extrudes the aluminum, bends it, and crimps it to form the unique overhanging guard and gutter as a one-piece system. The fabricator creates each job on site, cutting each length to fit and drilling holes for connector pipes with little or no wasted material. Once installed with heavy-duty vinyl brackets to hold the gutters away from the fascia, these unique gutters will use the principle of liquid adhesion carry water from the roof to the surface of the gutter cover and over the lip into the gutter itself. Leaves and debris fall away, while water follows the pathway directly into the gutter. This system is priced by the lineal foot and typically runs $10 per lineal foot installed.

Bob meets with Bob Fulmer, Sr. of Harraseeket Restoration, Inc. to see how the gutters are installed on the copper roofed breezeway. The gutters are a single bead half-round copper gutter that attach by circle-type fascia hangers. First Bob, Sr. installs the outlet for the downspout. To cut the hole he punches out a hole in the gutter and, using aviation snips (called clinks), cuts a circle in a spiral till it's large enough. Next he solders the outlet into the bottom of the half-round gutter to achieve a watertight connection. It's important to get it hot enough to melt the solder but to sweat it underneath the lap joint. Once it's sweated underneath, he makes a second pass to build up the layer of solder and then solders a "lock" on the back for extra strength. Then he slips the gutter into the hangers and adds one more soldering joint. The gutter is secured inside the circle-type hanger with a brass clip which allows for contraction, expansion, or movement in the gutter.

Bob and roofer Paul Morris demonstrate gutter installation techniques. Several pieces are assembled on site to hang the gutters including the corners and trim.

Routine gutter repair and inspection is vital to the performance of your home's water management system. Inspect for blockage, holes, cracks and sags.

The Melrose home had only one gutter left on the front, which had been neglected and was clogged with muck. In the back of the home, a vinyl gutter had been installed by the homeowners. New England Gutter Kings were called in to install a seamless aluminum gutter system. The old gutter was removed and the lengths were carefully measured. Heavy-gauge sheet aluminum was measured and extruded right out of the truck in front of the house. This 32-gauge aluminum holds the profile of the gutter well and will stand up to years of abuse and cleaning. It also gives the profile of the crown molding. Only about eight feet of fascia board needed to be replaced, so western red cedar was used before the gutter was installed. The installation required three people and is set on a slope to drain the water out to the street and sewers.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. While it s a job many of us would love to ignore, gutter cleaning is an important twice-a-year ritual all homeowners need to adopt. When clogged gutters overflow, they can cause ice dams on the roof that force water inside your house. They can also get so heavy that they ll pull the gutters loose and rot the trim and siding. Even if your gutter doesn t fill to overflowing each season, leaving any decaying debris in there is an invitation to carpenter ants and mosquitoes. If you have a lot of trees around your house, you might want to clean your gutters even more frequently. There are lots of ways to do the cleaning. You can find inventions like tongs on an extension pole, shop vacuums with gutter nozzles or even a remote-controlled gutter-running robot. But most methods eventually involve getting on a ladder. If you have gutters above the first story or aren t comfortable on a ladder, you re better off hiring a pro. To clean your gutters yourself, wear gloves, a dust mask and safety goggles. Make sure your ladder is well-footed at all times and use a ladder stabilizer, or stand-off, to keep from denting and damaging your gutters. Scoop the debris into a garbage bag with a garden trowel, then rinse toward the downspout with a high-pressure nozzle on your hose and scrub it clean. Try to avoid spattering the siding in the process. Next, clear the downspouts with a hose or auger. Installing leaf strainers at the drain tops will cut down on the large clogs. When it rains, check for leaks and mark them with a china marker so you can patch holes or correct pitch problems when it s dry. There s debate about whether gutter caps or screens are worth the investment of up to $7 a running foot. Because nothing keeps all debris out, you still have to have your gutter cleaned every couple of years at least, and screens and caps make it much more difficult and expensive to do it. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Begin the battle against a wet basement before it becomes a problem. Make sure your gutters are in good repair and clear of debris. Also check the grading around your home. If soil settling is causing rainwater to run toward the basement walls, lay down heavy plastic sheeting and build up the grade to achieve a pitch of a quarter inch per foot drop away from the house.

A wet-dry vac is a great tool to have, and not just for cleaning up the workshop. They come in handy for those tedious seasonal chores as well. With a few special attachments like these, cleaning the leaves out of your gutters becomes much easier, often eliminating the need for ladders, gloves, and an extra mess to clean up.

Foundation repairs are expensive; help avoid major problems in the future by doing a regular checkup on your home. Inspect foundation walls for cracks; these can be caused by settling, expanding tree roots, or improper drainage. Inspect and clean out your gutters regularly and be sure that the drains direct water away from the foundation.