Replace storage room door and rotten siding
John and I remove the rotten siding to replace it. With lap siding, the key is to match the reveal of the existing boards so the rows line up across the house and each is identical in width.
Next, we turn our attention toward the storage room door. If you’re buying a door unit, the first thing you need to tell the pro at the store is which way it swings.
This new door unit will help seal out drafts, but if you have older windows they may be drafty too. To combat those drafts in cooler weather, you can apply window insulating film on the inside of the opening.
The heavy-duty film in The Duck Brand‘s kit is puncture-resistant so it’s great for high traffic areas, and a simple hair dryer helps shrink it tight so the view is crystal clear.
Install new gutters
We have to remove the old leaky gutters before the new ones can go up, along with some unexpected cargo inside them.
The new gutters are actually custom made on site by the company that will install them. This machine in the back of their truck forms the “K” style gutter profile from coils of coated aluminum so they are seamless and the exact length we need.
The clips they’re attaching every 3 feet include long screws that will be driven through the facia, into the framing to secure the gutters.
They start at the end opposite the downspout and work the gutter downhill to ensure that it drains properly.
The new gutters will prevent all of these repairs from being necessary again in the future.
But it’s not just the gutters that will help; I’ve got an accessory I want to show John for his new gutters. It’s the GutterBrush, a leaf guard that looks like a giant pipe cleaner.
GutterBrush comes in 3-foot sections and you simply insert the guard in your gutter and slide it into position to prevent leaf and debris buildup in your gutters.
