A Guide for Getting Gutters!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

If this is your first time installing rain gutters on your home, here’s a quick guide for you so you’ll know what to expect!
It helps to do a little research so you have some idea of what gutters you’re going to want. Of course we’re happy to help you decide, but it’s usually helpful when you know what your opinions are before hand. You’re in the right place for that already! Our website has photos and this very blog is chock-full of information for you! The two main decisions you’ll need to make are gutter STYLE and MATERIAL.
The first step to get the ball rolling is the estimate. Give us a call, we’ll schedule a time for our estimator to come out and take a look at the property. Even if you know exactly what you want and how many feet you need, we will need to come out and see the property first hand. The estimator looks at many things that will help us to do your job the very best way, such as the slope of the roof, the condition of the rafters and fascia board, the drainage system around your home, and of course the measurements among other things! This is a great time to ask any questions! Our estimator will be happy to explain everything and offer advice if you’re unsure on any decisions along the way.
After you have the estimate, if you like what you see, call us back to schedule! We will set up a time to come out and put up your brand new gutters.
When the crew arrives, they will promptly do the job agreed upon. If you are getting seamless aluminum gutters, they will be made onsite with a special machine. If you are getting steel or copper, they will be hand-cut and soldered to fit your home properly. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t be afraid to voice them to the crew.
When the job is finished and you are satisfied with the work, you may give the crew a check for the cost we quoted in the estimate. The price we give you will be the final price, there will not be any additional charges – unless we add more to the scope of the work, but that will always be discussed with you prior to billing. If you prefer to pay with a credit card, you may call the office and give us your information for us to process payment.
We have a warrantee for 5 years on original work and 1 year on all repairs. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work. If anything is not to your satisfaction, let us know! And if you ARE satisfied, let others know! Word of mouth is the best advertisement we could ask for.

Now that you know what to expect, give us a call to get started with a free estimate!

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Award Winning Service at Prestigious Raingutters!

Posted on April 29, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

At Prestigious Raingutters, we have been servicing and installing rain gutters in Los Angeles & Ventura County for over 25 years. Our countless satisfied customers are all the recognition we need, however we’re very proud to announce that we have been selected for 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 those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

Each year, the Northridge Award Program identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through 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 to recognize 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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Rain Chain Gang

Posted on April 15, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

Your gutters catch water that flows off the roof and then directs that water to a downspout which drains the water from the gutter to the ground in a specific location. Instead of a downspout, however, you can also use also rain chains!
Rain chains have been around for hundreds of years. They were first invented and used in Japan. Instead of being concealed inside a downspout, the water that is drained from the gutters is visible as it flows down the chain in a tranquil, mesmerizing stream. It’s almost therapeutic to watch! They are attractive, decorative additions to your home when it isn’t raining as well. It adds curb appeal and value to your home.

There are generally two main types of rain chains. Link chains, and cup or bucket chains. Bucket/Cup styles typically catch the most water. This type consists of a series of decorative cups with open bottoms linked together on a chain. The water runs down the chain, but the cup helps catch extra water that sometimes splashes off the chain loops. The cups can come in many varieties and styles to fit the ambiance of your home. Link rain chains are basically the same thing, but without the cups. They are a chain of loops that link together. They can vary in size, material, and shape. Link styles can handle a fair amount of water, but in a heavy downpour, some of the water may splash off to the sides. A double-loop chain will catch more water than a single loop chain.

Most people get rain chains in copper. It’s a durable, attractive material. Over time, copper oxidizes and forms a coating known as a patina. The patina can be green or brown in color, and actually helps prevent corrosion. It gives the metal an antique, stately look. Other popular materials used for rain chains are brass and aluminum. Aluminum tends to keep its silver color, while brass ages and becomes a bit darker over time, making it richer and more bronzy.

At Prestigious Raingutters, we have over 25 years of experience with rain chains in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. We can expertly install your chain so that it drains properly, stays in place, and won’t cause damage to your home or existing gutters. We are fully licensed and insured. Call us for a free, no-pressure estimate in LA or the Valley. 1-800-993-1193

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Screen & Clean

Posted on April 1, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

You have gutters on your house? Great! That means you saved yourself hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars in repair costs associated with water damage! But you can’t just stick them up and forget about them… You have to maintain them so that they work properly.
Gutters catch water that falls off the roof. Unfortunately, they catch other things that happen to fall off your roof as well, such as leaves, twigs, etc. This debris can clog up your gutters and then when water rolls off your roof into the gutters, it doesn’t drain down the downspouts, so it overflows and cascades off the house. The water then causes as much damage as it would if there were no gutters to begin with! And if there is enough debris, it can get soaked and heavy, and they can begin sagging. This can throw off the slope of the gutters and even when you remove the debris, they can be bent out of shape and not work properly. In worst-case scenarios, the gutters can rip of the house and fall – which can cause damage to anyone or anything underneath them, as well as ruining the fascia boards they were attached to!
For these reasons, you need to be sure your gutters are cleaned at least once a year. If you have many trees around your home that shed a greater amount of leaves and twigs and berries and what-not, you might have to clean them more frequently. If this is the case, you might want to consider getting gutter screens installed as well. Screens easily pop into place over the top of the gutters and allow water in, but block most other debris from getting inside the gutters and backing them up. Screens will not be a magical get-out-of-cleaning-your-gutters-free card. You will still need to pay attention and clear out debris that makes its way past the screening and also anything that might settle on the screens themselves. It’s a far easier task, but still must be done.
At Prestigious Raingutters, we’ve been working on rain gutters all over the Los Angeles and Ventura Counties for over 25 years. We can help you install screens on your gutters in LA and the Valley. We can also help you clean them! We are fully licensed and insured and we give free estimates. Give us a call today! 1-800-993-1193

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Barrel of Rain

Posted on March 19, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

As a responsible citizen, you probably want to do your part to conserve water, right? No, I’m not talking about turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth… I’m talking about rain barrels!
A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores rainwater from rooftops to use later for watering your plants and gardens. Water collected in a rain barrel would normally pour off your roof directly or flow through your gutter’s downspouts and become storm-water runoff. Depending on your yard, this runoff can travel onto paved surfaces and eventually into a storm drain.
What a waste! Did you know that if each of the 800,000 residential parcels in L.A. were to install just ONE single rain barrel, the city estimates that about 800 million gallons of water would be saved, which would in turn reduce the demand for tap water? If you aren’t swayed by being “green” for the environment, what about saving “green” as in money? You would be surprised how much money you’ll save on your water bill by using rain collected in a rain barrel to water your lawn/garden!
It’s not just good for us humans; rainwater can help to improve the health of your gardens, lawns, and trees. Rain is a naturally soft water and devoid of minerals, chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals. For this reason, plants respond very well to rainwater. After all, it’s what plants in the wild thrive on…

There are many styles and options when it comes to rain barrels. It’s up to you to decide which type work best for your household. We have a few examples on our website under the “Products” section for you to look at. Not only are they functional, they also add character and flare to the esthetics of your house. Talk about a win-win! When you’ve decided on which barrel you want, we can come out to your home and install it for you. They are typically attached to a downspout or rainchain on your home’s gutter system. We’ve been expertly installing and working with rain barrels for year. Give us a call for a free estimate!

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Can Aluminum Gutters Stand The Test of Time?

Posted on March 4, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

Everyone knows that steel and copper gutters last a long time. There are many homes built in the 20s that still have their original, functioning steel and/or copper gutters. But in the last 20 years or so, aluminum gutters came onto the scene and became all the rage. Why should I consider aluminum over the tried & true steel or copper gutters I’m accustomed to?

There are many advantages of using aluminum rain gutters. First and foremost – lack of seams! Aluminum gutters can be made seamlessly. A coil of material is placed into a special machine which extrudes the rain gutter to the exact length you need! Other types of material typically come in 10 foot sections which then need to be connected to eachother. A 40 foot section of roof line might have 3 seams in it, which need to be sealed or soldered and are usually the first places which start leaking over time. But using aluminum, the entire 40 foot length would be one continuous piece, eliminating such concerns.
Another advantage – color! Steel gutters need to be painted. Aluminum gutters come in a wide variety of colors. The gutters we use at Prestigious Raingutters have a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer against chipping or flaking. Steel gutters will most likely need to be repainted at some point in their lifespan, whereas aluminum gutters will hold their color.
And with the economy the way it is, the biggest advantage aluminum can offer to some people – PRICE! The cost of aluminum is significantly less than other types of materials.
But are they able to stand up to the test of time? Yes! Aluminum gutters, when properly maintained, can last for up to 50 years! Aluminum is a light-weight material, therefore it is slightly easier to ding and dent than a heavy steel gutter, so be careful when leaning ladders against them or doing anything else than might put pressure on them. Keep other metals from coming into contact with your aluminum gutters. Especially if you are very close to the salty ocean air, because this speeds up electrolysis. Most importantly, keep your gutters clean! Debris clogging your gutters not only decreases their functionality, but it also can damage the gutters themselves, so be sure to clean them out at least once a year – the optimum time for this is right at the end of summer before the first fall rains begin. Adding screens to your gutters can help keep debris out, but it is not an excuse to stop cleaning them entirely.

At Prestigious Raingutters, we have over 25 years of experience installing and maintaining aluminum gutters. Give us a call for a free estimate! 800-993-1193

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Save Fascia

Posted on February 18, 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!

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Underground Drainage – Then & Now

Posted on February 4, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

John Johnston was born in Scotland in 1791, and immigrated to the USA in 1821. A year later, he bought many acres of farmland and built a house in Seneca County. He found that the excessive water from the underground springs damaged crops throughout the growing season.
Johnston was familiar with tile drainage in Scotland, so he went to the local crockery makers in Waterloo, NY in 1838 and ordered 3,000 tiles which he laid in his 320 acres of farmland. Sure enough, the tiles increased the yield in heavy, wet soil and his farm flourished. The crockery mak continued to make clay drain tiles and by 1871 Waterloo, NY was home to ten tile drainage factories!

Today, many people have underground drainage systems to keep water away from their homes foundation. The downspouts which carry water from your gutters, are often connected to these drains using “tile” adaptors. The name originates from the old terracotta crockery materials used back in the day to make these drainage systems. You need the adaptor because many times the downspouts are a different size and shape than the drain openings. Some drains are more difficult to connect than others. It’s important that they’re properly connected, however! Your drainage system is an integral part of your home’s protection! The gutters will safely collect water from the roof and channel it to the downspouts, but if the downspouts just release the water to a spot where it can seep into the ground and damage your foundation or your landscaping, it’s going to end up being a costly problem! That’s why if you have underground drainage, the gutters will safely channel that run-off water to the drain and it will be properly directed to a safe place.

At Prestigious Raingutters, we can be sure that your gutters are functioning and your downspouts are properly connected to your underground drainage for maximum protection of your home and landscaping! Give us a call for a free estimate in Los Angeles & Ventura counties. 1-800-993-1193

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Slope Matters!

Posted on January 21, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

If my gutters are a little crooked or sagging, it’s not a big deal, right?
Wrong! If your gutters aren’t properly sloped, water will not drain the way it’s supposed to! It will accumulate inside the gutter instead of draining to the downspouts, and then it can over flow and drench your house and it’s foundation!
Also, if your gutters are hung incorrectly or sagging too much, they could fall! They could potentially rip your siding off with them! Even if the siding stays up, it could get ruined. Just like water can get under the shingles, it can get under your 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 is a pricey endeavor.
Besides the siding, there’s the foundation! When your gutters are backed up, the water just spills out and into the soil around your house. Soil can only absorb so much water, and that water has to go somewhere else. And 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.
4) Your Patio and Driveway are Damaged!
Water will seep into pretty much any concrete fixture eventually: there’s only so much a sealant can do against a steady stream of water. Eventually, it’ll cause cracks, rust rebar supports and cause other damage. A proper gutter system above your garage will help direct water away so that it isn’t draining out onto your driveway, causing a small river every time it rains.

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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You Need Gutters, LA!

Posted on January 7, 2013 by prestigiousraingutters

Don’t overlook your gutters, Los Angeles. They’re one of the most important features on your home! You hardly think about them until you need them, and if something’s wrong, a heavy rain storm is NOT the time to realize your gutters need repairs!

Without properly functioning gutters, water runoff can damage almost every part of the outside of your home, but that’s just the beginning. New paint, new stucco, new fascia boards… all costly!
But water that runs down the outside of your home doesn’t stop there! It pools around the basement walls and/or foundation of your home, where it can seep inside or erode the foundation itself. If there’s one thing that’s harder to deal with than a flooded basement, it’s a shifting foundation!

Fortunately, we have gutters! They will take all that water and usher it safely to where it belongs and won’t be a hazard to your home. Gutters are a relatively inexpensive investment for all the good the do. They can help add value to your home and in some cases, curb appeal too! They come in several materials and styles, so you can choose what’s best for your home and your budget.

Once they’re installed and working properly, be sure you maintain your gutters by cleaning them (or hiring a company to do so) at least once a year, sometimes more if you have a lot of trees over your gutters. There are also gutter screens you can purchase to help keep debris out of your gutters if trees are an issue for you.

Give us a call, we have over 25 years of experience in installing and maintaining rain gutters. We will give you a free estimate! 800-993-1193

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