Gutter Repair in Aurora, CO

Local know-how

Hail, spring snow and cottonwood fluff in Aurora

Aurora is a high-plains city, at well over 5,000 feet, with only about 15 inches of precipitation a year and more than 300 days of sun. It looks like a place where gutters have an easy life. They do not. Most of the year's moisture arrives in a few intense forms: spring snowstorms of heavy, wet snow, summer thunderstorms with hail, and quick downpours that drop more water than the dry ground can take.

The eastern Front Range ranks among the most hail-prone areas in the United States. Hailstorms here dent aluminum gutters and downspouts, crack vinyl, and knock granules off the shingles into the trough. After a big storm, gutters fill with what looks like coarse sand, and that grit makes a heavy sludge with the next rain.

Spring is the snowiest season. March and April storms can drop a foot or more of wet snow that weighs far more than the dry powder of midwinter. Snow slides off the roof in sheets and loads the gutter, and the sun melts it by afternoon and refreezes it at night.

Aurora's housing is mostly newer, from the post-war homes of Hoffman Heights and the original Aurora neighborhoods along Colfax to the large subdivisions of Saddle Rock, Tallyn's Reach, Southlands and Murphy Creek. Many are two-story homes on open lots, exposed to wind from every direction.

Gutter installation in Aurora

New gutters in Aurora should be thick enough to resist hail dents and strong enough to carry wet spring snow. Heavier-gauge aluminum, such as .032 rather than the thinner builder grade, and hidden hangers every two feet make a real difference. Steel gutters hold up better against hail but cost more and need care against rust at cut edges.

Color matters for resale but also for the look after a hailstorm, since dents show more on dark, glossy colors. On a two-story home in Saddle Rock or Tallyn's Reach with a big roof, 6-inch gutters with 3-by-4 downspouts handle summer cloudbursts better than the builder-standard 5-inch troughs.

Quality gutter installation: what to look for in Aurora

A quality install starts with an accurate measurement of the roof area each section drains, and a plan that puts downspouts where the water can be carried away from the foundation. Ask about the metal gauge, the hanger type and spacing, how the corners are joined, and where each downspout will discharge. A quote that leaves out any of those leaves room for a cheaper job.

Ask, too, how the contractor handles the drip edge at the roof line. On many Aurora homes the drip edge was installed in a way that sends water behind the gutter, and a new gutter will not fix that unless the edge is corrected or a gutter apron is added.

Aurora gutter covers and guards

Gutter covers in Aurora have to deal with three things: cottonwood fluff in early summer, the small seeds of Siberian elms in spring, and the snow and hail that land on the guard. Fine stainless mesh keeps out seeds and fluff, while open screens let the elm seeds through. Covers that sit flat and close to the roof plane shed snow best.

Plastic covers become brittle in the strong sun and break under hail. A metal guard secured beneath the first shingle course and screwed to the front lip holds up better. Even with guards, plan on an annual check, because shingle grit and fluff build up on the mesh.

Expansive clay and basement walls

Much of the Aurora area sits on clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. Downspouts that empty against the foundation make the soil next to the wall swell, and over the years that movement cracks basement walls and heaves slabs and steps. Builders here are required to slope soil away from the house, and keeping downspout discharge at least five feet out preserves that grading.

Do not let downspout extensions be removed for lawn mowing and never put back. A splash block or a hinged extension that flips up keeps the water away without getting in the way.

Rain barrels in Colorado

Since 2016, Colorado law has allowed households to collect roof runoff in up to two rain barrels with a combined capacity of 110 gallons, for outdoor watering on the same property. In a dry city like Aurora, a barrel under a downspout is a sensible way to water a garden. The barrel needs an overflow that carries excess water away from the foundation, and it should be emptied before a freeze.

Water-wise landscaping and downspouts

Aurora Water has promoted water-wise landscaping for years, and many yards now have rock, native grasses and drip lines instead of thirsty lawn. Rock beds next to the foundation can hide a problem: water from a downspout sinks through the rock and soaks the clay below. Extending the downspout past the rock bed or piping it to a planted area keeps the foundation dry.

Wind across the open plains

Eastern Aurora borders open plains, and strong winds there catch loose gutter sections and downspouts. Once one end hanger lets go, a single gust front can peel the whole run back. Downspout straps every few feet and secure end caps keep the system in place.

Cherry Creek, the reservoirs and the parks

Homes near Cherry Creek State Park, the Aurora Reservoir and the Sand Creek and Toll Gate Creek trails often have mature cottonwoods nearby. Those trees shed fluff in May and June and a heavy leaf drop in autumn. Gutters on homes near the creeks need a cleaning after the fluff and again after the leaves.

Hoffman Heights and original Aurora

North Aurora's older neighborhoods, Hoffman Heights, Del Mar and the streets near Colfax, were built mostly in the 1950s as small brick ranches with low roofs and short gutter runs. Many still have their first gutters, patched over decades and dented by many hailstorms. On a house that size, a full seamless replacement is often affordable compared with repeated repairs, and it is a chance to add downspouts on corners that never had one.

Snow on south Aurora roofs

Southern subdivisions such as Saddle Rock and Southlands sit on higher ground and catch more upslope snow in spring storms. North-facing roof slopes on these homes hold snow for days after a storm, and the meltwater turns back to ice in the trough after dark. Heat cable on north eaves and keeping those troughs clear before March help most.

Local guidance

Storm damage and insurance in Aurora

Sudden damage from wind, hail or a falling limb is commonly covered by homeowners policies. Gradual deterioration and lack of maintenance generally are not, and that distinction is what decides most claims.

Because of that, the sequence matters: photograph the damage before anything is moved or made safe, get it documented in writing, and only then have a temporary repair carried out.

Ask your contractor to document the damage in the detail adjusters expect and to provide an itemised scope for the claim. If it is safe to do so from the ground, your own photographs taken immediately afterwards are genuinely useful evidence.