Elegance, Copper is Thy Name….

Posted on October 14, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

Why not put as much care, thought, and style into the outside of your house as do the inside?You know you need gutters on your house. Why not add gutters that will give your home a touch of elegance and an air of sophistication?
Copper rain gutters have been referred to as “jewelry for your house.” It’s true, the eye-catching looks are a huge reason to choose copper over aluminum or steel, but the material has many other advantages besides just being pretty!
One of the biggest benefits to copper gutters is their durability. They are built to last! When you make the investment in copper gutters, you will replace them less often than other materials. Copper does not rust or rot, which means they will stay in tact for decades! Copper rain gutters have been known to last for 50 years or more. They tend to require less maintenance as well. They can withstand exposure to extreme weather conditions such as baking heat and dryness of areas such as the San Fernando Valley, as well as the salty air of the coast in Malibu or Santa Monica!
The price of copper goes up and down with the trades, much like gold or silver. It does happen to be more expensive than other materials, but it’s an investment that pays off. Copper gutters add monetary value to your home and drastically increase curb appeal.
Over time, copper oxidizes and forms a coating known as a patina. The patina can be brown or green in color, and actually helps prevent further corrosion. Normally, it takes at least six years for the patina to form. However, if you like the natural look of copper, then you will have to apply sealants that prevent the copper from oxidizing. Many people prefer the patina though, especially in older homes. It gives them a stately appeal. You’ll often see them on homes that grow ivy, or on more vintage looking homes. It’s elegant and unique. It will certainly set you apart from your neighbors.
It is not recommended to attempt installing copper gutters yourself. With a material as expensive as copper, you want to be sure that your gutters are installed professionally. At Prestigious Raingutters, we have over 20 years experience installing copper rain gutters in the Los Angeles area, and we know exactly how to secure them in place for optimum performance and durability. Give us a call for a free estimate!

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Service Matters!

Posted on September 30, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

You need work done on your house? You want to pick a company that knows what they’re doing, of course. You want to pick a company that is fully licensed and insured. A company that offers competitive pricing, free estimates, and a warranty. But you also want to pick a company that does all this with a smile! You want a company whose SERVICE is as good as their product.
Here at Prestigious Raingutters, we have prided ourselves on our service. Our repeat customers and referrals tell us that we’re doing a good job with this. But the community is starting to notice as well! This year, we were awarded with the 2013 Best of Northridge Award in the Construction & Remodeling Contractors Category!
The Northridge Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Northridge area. Recognition is given to local companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

Every year, the Northridge Award Program chooses companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These local companies enhance the positive image of small businesses through outstanding service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Northridge area a great place to live, work and play.

The Northridge Award Program was established with the purpose of recognizing the best of local businesses in the community. Their organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Their mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

Want to experience our award winning services yourself? Give us a call for a free estimate! 1-800-993-1193

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One Metal Lasts Longer Than Two…

Posted on September 2, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

Let’s say you have a nice steel gutter system and one day something happens to one of your downspouts and it needs to be replaced…. So you call around and do some research and learn that aluminum is less expensive than steel and comes pre-painted, so you decide you want to replace the downspout with a new aluminum one – simple, right?
Yes and no…

Galvanic Corrosion is an electrochemical process which occurs when dissimilar metals are in contact with each other in the presence of an electrolyte, most commonly being moisture and oxygen. Unfortunately water, and salt water in particular, make especially good electrolytes. An electrolyte could be any non-metal matter that will conduct an electric current – predominantly liquids or moisture. Every metal has been rated for nobility and then placed on galvanic scales. Basically, nobility is a measurement of the resistance to corrosion, especially of one metal contacting another metal. Metals that are the least noble means they are very anodic, electropositive or high potential and will corrode most easily. Aluminum is the least noble, so it will corode the fastest. Metals that are the most noble, means they are highly cathodic, electronegative or low potential and will be the most resistant to corrosion. The most corrosive effects will occur between metals from the opposite ends of the galvanic scale or ranking of nobility. This difference in electrical potential between two or more metals causes galvanic corrosion. Dissimilar metals in contact with each other in the presence of an electrolyte causes current to flow through their points of contact at the expense of the metal with the higher potential or less nobility. The much less noble metal is gradually consumed in the Electro-chemical reaction and will deteriorate or wear away as the metal ions migrate away from the very anodic metal to the more noble cathodic one. The more noble metal’s corrosion resistance actually increases from this transfer of ions to it from the less noble metal, while the other metal is gradually getting consumed.

What does all that mean?!
It means that over time, with water flowing between the steel and aluminum, the metal is going to start to corrode and you will have a leak. This process speeds up near the ocean because of the salt water in the air. The good news is that we use bonderized or galvanized steel, which has a coating that prolongs the damage, and you can patch up a connection a few times before a whole section will need to be replaced. Also, if you are farther from the ocean, it will take longer for the corrosion to occur.So if you’re looking at the short term, it won’t be a big deal, but years down the line, mixing your metals can prove annoying and costly. It’s best to stick to one type of material in your gutter system if you can.

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SoCal – Your Gutters Matter!!!

Posted on August 19, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

Los Angeles, you’re very sunny, but your houses actually DO need gutters! Functioning rain gutters are a necessity for maintaining your home, no matter where in the US you are. The problems that can occur if they are blocked up, leaking, or simply not present are very real!

Gutters take the rain water that falls onto your roof and they channel it away from your home, preventing water from damaging siding, fascia boards, exterior paint, windowsills, and shutters. More importantly, they keep water from getting inside your walls, settling around your foundation, or getting into your basement. When water gets inside your home, it’s a real mess! Floors, carpet, and anything that might be left out can be completely ruined!

Without gutters to safely direct water away from the house, it can start to pool around your foundation. If this water penetrates, it can cause your foundation to crack, slide, or even roll. If this happens, the stability and structure of your home are immediately compromised. This is not only dangerous, but expensive too! Water around your foundation can also seep under your floors, which can cause rugs to start molding from the bottom up, wood floors to warp, and can cause electrical damage. All that water can also wick up the wooden structure of your house, and get inside the walls, where it can inspire the growth of unhealthy black mold, even in the relatively dry heat of the Valley.

All of this can be prevented simply by installing and properly maintaining a good rain gutter system. There are lots of options on the market, ranging from seamless aluminum to beautiful copper gutters and galvanized steel as well. There are also different styles, so you can pick one that looks best on your home.

Once installed, you must keep your gutters clean. Gutter screens can go a long way toward making this job easy, but even with them, you should still check your downspouts at least once a year and make sure that everything is flowing properly. By performing this basic maintenance, you can get decades of excellent service out of your rain gutters.

Rain gutters are the best way to prevent all the painful damaging effects of loose water on, in, and around your home. You can’t blame it on the rain this time — Call Prestigious Raingutters for a free estimate. We’re been in the rain gutter business for over 25 years and can tell you exactly what you need to protect your home!

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Noisy Gutters Are Driving Me Crazy!

Posted on August 5, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

We get this call now and then – “Help me, my gutters make this horrible, LOUD dripping sound right outside my window!” The main cause for this is simple…. because the bottoms of your downspouts are usually curved to direct water away from your house and it’s foundation, drips of water can fall straight down through your downspout and when they hit the bottom curved piece of metal/copper/aluminum, it makes a drip sound which is echoed back up through the downspout to annoy you. AH!!!
What can you do about it? Well… there are a few things you can try.
* The first, and easiest option, is to simply place a sponge in the bottom part of your downspout. Many times that’s all it takes to soften the blow when those water droplets hit the bottom, and it doesn’t make a sound.
* Some people have found success in using a rope or ropes – by cutting them the length of the downspout and attaching them at the top of the gutter and dropping them through the downspout, water will have something to attach itself to that will help guide it down to the ground without a noisy free-fall.
* Many times you can cure a noisy gutter by angling the downspout. The angled downspout works because the water droplets will run down along the sides of the downspout rather than falling straight down to the bottom. Most people use this as a last resort to avoid the extra work and having to look at an uneven downspout, but to a lot of people, a drip-free night’s sleep is worth it! If you choose to go this route, you might want to give us a call to come help you. We can make sure the downspout is removed and re-installed properly without causing any leaks or damage to your gutters.

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Fascia to Fascia

Posted on July 22, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

When looking into a new gutter system, we recommend evaluating your home’s fascia boards before installing the gutters. Having proper fascia boards will prevent a shmemley of different problems down the road for both your home and your gutter system.

Fascia board is a type of roof trim which is commonly used on houses. It’s mounted on the exposed ends of rafters or on the top of exterior walls to create a layer between the edge of the roof and the outside. In addition to serving an aesthetic function by creating a smooth, even appearance on the edge of the roof, fascia board also serves to protect the roof and interior of the house from weather damage. Not all homes are designed to use fascia, but most styles of homes do have it.
In cases where the edge of the roof is flush with the edge of the walls, the fascia board may include soffits for venting, while in other cases, soffits may be hidden under the eaves and become invisible behind the fascia board.

The fascia board is also the point of attachment for the gutters on the house, facilitating drainage from the roof, and ensuring that water doesn’t pool around the base of the house during rain.
Making sure you have strong, sturdy fascia boards is important for your gutter system! If your fascia is rotting and unstable, your gutters may become loose and tilt, preventing them from working properly. They could also fall all together which could injure anyone or anything below them, as well as the gutters themselves.
Having gutters will help protect your fascia, and having good fascia will help protect your gutters!
Give us a call today, we can inspect your fascia for you!

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Leader Heads

Posted on July 9, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

Leader Heads are also known as Scupper Boxes, Conductor Heads, Leader Boxes, Collector Heads, Conductor Boxes, Collectors, Catch Basins, Bells, Scupper Heads, and Conductor Heads. Whichever name you choose to call them, they all serve to channel water.

Most often, when there is a scupper on a building, there will be a leaderhead used to catch the run-off water. Scuppers are used to provide an outlet through parapet walls or gravel stops on flat and built-up roofs to allow excess water to drain. It’s basically just a drainage hole. Under such a hole, a leader head would be placed to catch the water. The leader head is then attached to a downspout, which will drain the water to a desired location. This protects the side of the building from being damaged by the constant stream of water.

Leader Heads also serve as a catch basin located at the top of some leaders/downspouts attaching the gutter sleeve to the conductor pipe.
Earlier, gutters laid around the rooftops of homes were directed to flow into joints at suitable intervals where the water would flow in to a single outlet pipe. These joints called leader heads or conductor heads were the places where most of the leakages and blockages would occur. Repeated repair, sealing, and plugging, made them look ugly. The modern day leader heads or conductor heads have completely changed the look and functioning of these joints. There is a wide variety of leader heads available, made of wide ranging material, color, and designs. They also vary according to the size of the downward spout to which they are to be connected.
Although, the primary purpose of these leader heads is to channel water, these are also designed to match the aesthetics of a building. Many leader heads have side openings, which let air in to the drain and muffle the sound of water gushing through the pipe. The air inlet also prevents formation of vacuum inside the pipe leading to obstructed flow. Some may contain filters within them to prevent clogging of the spout. Leader heads improve the flow of water and some may receive overflows due to any obstruction to the flow of water in the downward spout. The leader head may be placed at a point where many gutters directly flow into, or where many of the smaller scuppers empty their content. They are usually placed under a soffit or an over hanging ledge. They provide enough space to hold a lot of water so that the rooftop is not flooded during thunderstorms.

Leader heads come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Leader heads are often thought of as luxury accessories. They can certainly be eye-catching ornamental structures that add value and appeal to your home. Choosing the right leader head can be compared to an artist applying the finishing touch to his creation.
At Prestigious Raingutters, we have a wide variety of leader head options for you to choose from. Call us for a free estimate.

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Clear your gutters, Clear your mind….

Posted on June 24, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

You bought groceries, washed the car, took out the trash, bought that birthday present for your brother, and watered the plants… wasn’t there something else on your to-do list this weekend? Oh yeah! Clean the gutters!
Water can damage a lot of things on your home, but gutters can be life-savers. Coupled with their trusty companions, downspouts, they will catch rain and put it where it belongs! Gutters will prevent your roof’s fascia boards from getting wet and rotting/molding. They also protect your home’s paint/stucco from water damage. Downspouts prevent water from pooling beside your foundation and seeping into your basement by directing the water away from the house.
Leaves, twigs, trash, birds’ nests, etc can accumulate in your gutters, and block the flow of water that the gutters are there to direct. Water then overflows and causes the above mentioned damage. It can also pool and remain stagnant, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other unpleasant sights and smells. This is why regular cleaning is necessary to keep your gutters working efficiently.
Cleaning your gutter and downspouts can be done in one of two ways. Either by doing it yourself, or hiring it to be done by a professional.
Besides being a rather hot, dirty and time-consuming job, cleaning your rain gutters by yourself is also very dangerous. You will need to either get a ladder or do it from your roof. It goes without saying that this can be dangerous. Falling can cause severe injury, even death. It’s always recommended to have someone with you to hold a ladder and help secure your safety. Another thing you’ll want to do is make sure you wear safety glasses or goggles when doing any kind of gutter and downspout cleaning. There is potential for a lot of flying debris and if you’re on a ladder, you are right at eye level. Don’t take unnecessary chances with your vision. Do not neglect the downspouts while cleaning the gutters. Sometimes people clear out the leaves from the gutters, but forget to make sure the downspouts are clear! The downspouts are what drain the water caught in the gutters out to the ground, so if they are clogged, water will backup into the gutters. It is recommended to flush water through them with a garden hose to insure that water flows freely.
The easier, safer, more convenient way to insure that your gutters are in proper working order, is to hire a professional. At Prestigious Raingutters, we have over 20 years experience in cleaning rain gutters in the Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. We can quickly and efficiently clean out your gutters for you and make sure everything is working the way it should. We will also make sure the gutters are properly sealed to prevent leaks, and secured to your home with a proper slope so that everything is in proper working order.

Maintaining your gutter system helps prevent costly repairs and should not be overlooked. Call us for a free estimate and check that off your list for this weekend!

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Don’t be a Dope – Check Your Slope!

Posted on June 10, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

If the slope is off on your gutters, water will will accumulate inside the gutter instead of draining to the downspouts, and then it can over-flow and soak your house and it’s foundation!
If that’s not bad enough, consider this: if your gutters are hung incorrectly or sagging too much, they could fall off. That’s bad news for anyone or any thing that happens to be under them at the time! Chances re, the gutters will be ruined after a fall from your roof. They’ll be dented, dinged, and possibly destroyed. Not only that, but they could potentially rip your siding off with them! Even if the siding manages to stay on the house, it could get pulled away enough that it needs to be replaced. Just like water can get under the shingles, it can get under your home’s siding. Once there, it can eat away at the wall materials and create a fertile environment for pests, as well as for mold. Mold loves vinyl siding, especially in areas that don’t get much direct light. Mold is unhealthy, ugly, and destructive. You will have to re-install all new siding, which can end up costing a lot of money.
Besides the siding, there’s the foundation! When your gutters are backed up, the water just spills out and flows into the soil around your house. Soil can only absorb so much water, and then that water has to go somewhere else. All too often, “somewhere else” is your foundation and basement.
A basement flood can cost you thousands of dollars, but foundation problems can cost you your house. A house on an unstable foundation can be condemned by the state if you let it go long enough. This is serious business.

At Prestigious Raingutters, we have 25 years of experience cleaning, repairing and maintaining all types of rain gutters in the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley areas. Let us help you make sure the gutters on your house, apartment, or commercial building are secure and properly sloped. Call us for a free estimate.

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Put Some Style in Your Gutters!

Posted on May 27, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

Rain gutters come in different shapes, or styles. The two most common are K-Style (also referred to as OGEE Style) and Half-Round.

What’s the difference?

Half Round gutters look like a half-circle, hence the name. The half-round profile goes with virtually any style of home architecture. They can also be made with different materials; such as copper, steel, or aluminum. Half-round gutters are most commonly used in southern California on spanish style homes. They’re often used on custom homes as well, and the shape even allows for the material (most commonly copper) to be embossed, for a very elegant touch to the architecture of the home. Half-round gutters function the same way as K-Style gutters, and they are usually paired with a matching round downspout. The half-round design is sometimes easier to clean because the surface is smooth, and there are no corners or creases for dirt or debris to become lodged.
K-Style or OGEE gutters (“Ogee” is an architectural term for a form that goes from small to large) are arguably the most popular type of gutter installed today. When you look at a K-Style gutter straight on, they have an appearance on your roofline that resembles the shape of crown molding on your indoor ceilings. Their attractive shape and reasonable price makes them appeal to homeowners. They are highly effective, and can hold more water than a half round style gutter with the equivalent diameter. They can be made of different materials as well, such as seamless aluminum, steel, and copper. The downspouts on K-Style gutters are often rectangular. K-Styles are often ideal for applications where a flat fascia has been installed. For slanted or angled fascia, brackets are applied so that the gutter hangs securely at the correct angle.
There is a third, less common style of gutters known as Box Gutters. A box gutter does not hang onto the edge of a roof or side of a house as the other gutters do. A box gutter is actually built into the bottom of the roof or into the roof overhang. Because they must be custom made to fit your home, they are usually made of steel. Box gutters date back to the 1800s and can be found on many older homes. It is harder to control the slope on box-gutters, which is why most people today prefer other styles. Gutters that do not slope properly will back up and over-flow. However, box gutters are still a good option for some homes, depending on the roof lines.

Whichever style you choose, Prestigious Raingutters can make sure your gutters are properly installed and work to protect your home from water damage. Call us for a free estimate.

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