Have you ever thought about what’s holding your gutters up? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important! There’s no denying the importance of the job gutters perform, moving water away from homes and preventing costly water damage. The devices that support gutters often go unnoticed, yet they keep the gutters secure and determine how well the entire system performs. Strength and durability, performance and longevity, are all affected by these fasteners.
The two most common gutter fasteners used are gutter spikes and hidden hangers. The fastener securing your gutters will determine the system’s strength, longevity, and performance. But what’s the difference between spikes and hidden hangers if they’re both serving the same purpose? Below, we’ll explore the difference between these two gutter fastener options and take a close look at the potential risks of using gutter spikes instead of hidden hangers. Last, we’ll discuss the many advantages of using hidden hangers during a gutter installation or replacement. Let’s begin with gutter spikes.
What are Gutter Spikes?
Gutter spikes have been around for nearly a century, making them one of the oldest gutter technologies still used on homes today. Long metal nails, also known as gutter spikes, are used with metal tubes or sleeves called ferrules to secure gutters to the fascia board. Gutter spikes are driven through the front of the gutters, through the ferrule, until they are secured into the wooden boards behind the gutters. Gutter spikes provide basic support, holding gutters securely in place during installation. However, they are visible from outside the home and rely on the nail’s strength and the condition of the fascia board to keep everything fastened in place. For homes in Traverse City, where winters bring plenty of snow and summer thunderstorms stress gutter systems with the weight of debris and heavy rains, gutter fasteners must be able to withstand the additional load each season imposes. This is where we see traditional gutter spikes fall short.
The Risks and Drawbacks of Gutter Spikes
While recognizing that gutter spikes have served many homes in the past and were once considered the standard, they carry several risks and drawbacks that can lead to early gutter failure. In areas that experience seasonal changes, as we do here in Northern Michigan, these drawbacks are especially noticeable. Below are five inherent risks when gutter replacement companies use gutter spikes:
Work Themselves Free: One significant issue seen with spikes is that they can loosen and pull out over time. This is most notable in climates with freeze-thaw cycles, which cause the fascia board to expand and contract with the temperature changes. This gradual loosening results in sagging, pulling away, and eventually, complete gutter failure.
Limited Support: Gutter spikes are typically spaced farther apart than modern fasteners. The extra weight of snow accumulation, heavy rains, or wet leaves that plague our gutters in Traverse City can bend or pull out gutter spikes, resulting in gutter section failure. Sagging also increases the risk of ice dam formation, which can damage gutters, roofs, and interior spaces. Offering less stability than other alternatives, spikes pose a higher risk of detachment in strong winds and under ice accumulation.
Structure Damage: Gutter spikes are essentially 8 to 10-inch nails, and they can inflict damage to the gutters and the fascia board they are secured to. With movement, the holes that the spikes are driven through can widen, allowing water to seep inside and accelerate corrosion, rust, and wood rot.
Maintenance Difficulty: Gutter spikes also complicate maintenance. Loose gutter spikes are a common gutter repair and can only be re-driven for a temporary fix, if at all. Not to mention, once a spike comes out, it triggers a chain reaction that weakens the surrounding sections.
Decreased Curb Appeal: Because gutter spikes are driven through the front of the gutters, they are visible and detract from the home’s curb appeal.
Many gutter replacement companies observe that systems secured with spikes tend to require full replacements sooner than those secured with hidden hangers, particularly after a harsh winter. When additional snow and ice weigh down the gutters, leading to breakage, these vulnerabilities increase, as do emergency repairs. Ultimately, gutter spikes are more prone to failure and do not deliver long-term performance compared with modern installation methods. Let’s take a look.
What Are Hidden Hangers?
Hidden hangers are modern gutter fasteners, sometimes known as concealed brackets or clips. These devices are internal brackets installed in the gutter channel and screwed directly into the fascia board. As the name suggests, hidden hangers are invisible from the ground, creating a clean, seamless appearance. They are made from high-quality materials, such as stainless steel or aluminum, which offer strength and durability. Now considered the standard, hidden hangers distribute weight more evenly across the gutter system, offering superior structural reinforcement. These qualities make hidden hangers particularly beneficial for environments with extreme weather. Hidden hangers have become the most commonly used fasteners for professional gutter replacement companies in Traverse City.
The Benefits of Hidden Hangers
Hidden hangers are designed to address the many drawbacks of using spikes. The following are some of the benefits of using hidden hangers when having a gutter system installed or replaced:
Strength: Unlike traditional spikes that act as nails, hidden hangers are secured using screws that grip the fascia board more securely than nails. The tighter hold of screws is better able to resist loosening over time.
Stability: Hidden hangers are spaced closer together than gutter spikes, providing greater stability and support under heavy snow and ice loads. With superior weight distribution, hidden hangers decrease the risk of sagging and help maintain proper alignment, facilitating efficient water drainage.
Aesthetics: With no front-of-gutter visibility, hidden hangers create a clean, polished appearance that blends with the modern look of today’s homes.
Longevity: Because hidden hangers sit inside the gutter trough and don’t penetrate the gutter face, the chances of early corrosion and leaking are decreased. The high-quality material used to make hangers also contributes to greater longevity, reduced maintenance, and fewer repairs.
Reduced Risk of Damage: Providing better support and stability minimizes the risk of damage to the gutter system and the house. By keeping gutters firmly in place and functioning as intended, gutter hangers minimize the likelihood of gutter failure.
Easier Maintenance: Hidden hangers are easier to maintain than spikes because when adjustments and repairs are needed, they can be tightened or replaced with minimal disruption to the rest of the system.
Installation and Removal: Unlike gutter spikes, which can be challenging to install and remove and can cause damage in the process, hangers are designed to be easy to install and remove with minimal disruption to the gutter system or home.
Overall, hidden hangers are more resilient, holding up better in extreme weather conditions and avoiding the common failures seen with gutter spikes. Even with a slightly higher upfront cost, hidden hangers offer long-term cost savings.
Choosing Fasteners Designed to Last
When choosing between gutter spikes and hidden hangers, the decision really boils down to long-term durability and efficiency over simplicity. While gutter spikes serve a basic purpose, their risks make them the inferior choice. Spikes pulling out, sections sagging, or premature gutter failure are just a few of the problems homeowners may face when securing gutters with spikes. Hidden hangers, on the other hand, provide enhanced stability, improved aesthetic design, and easier maintenance and removal. Providing secure attachment of gutters, hidden hangers offer superior protection against water-related issues. By choosing hidden hangers, homeowners can better protect their gutters (and homes) from whatever the season brings.