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I've seen the inside of a lot of gutters but the gutters on this house are unique in the way they have weathered. Maybe it has something to do with what they might have painted inside as a preseravitive that damaged the wood? These are not original to the house but are fairly recent replacements maybe only 10-20 years old. The crosection shown here has a knot which is basically endgrain. End grain sucks up water like a straw. This is why the lumber used to mill wood gutters is basically knot(defect) free. The installer here should have known better and not have chosen this section. |
| This is its replacement, a 24' 4x6" fir gutter, courtesy of Sweet Lumber in Providence. I sanded it with 40 grit paper and primed with oil-based paint with Penetrol added for superior adhesion. |
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| Removing loose wood fibers in preperation of sealing. This section was replaced a few years back and therefore in good condition. |
| I installed 4 new larger gooseneck lead leaders, properly mortised flush with the bottom of the gutter. I then applied 2 coats of Geocel's brushable clear liquid rubber to the 160' lineal feet of gutter on this home. These wooden gutters (fir) will now be as maintenance free as their aluminum counterpart. |
| Even wood as weathered as this can be saved. The liquid rubber has a 30yr guarantee. All that will be needed is a quick pressure wash cleaning and a recoat in 25 years or so. |