My house has aluminum gutters. they are attached to the fascia boards with
7" aluminum spikes and ferrules. Many of these spikes have worked loose over
the last 30 years and the gutters are drooping. Home Depot sells 7" Gutter
Screws that replace the aluminum spikes. For superior holding power, they
are made of painted steel.

My question is, will the steel screws that go through the rim of the
aluminum gutter compromise the gutters due to electrolytic interaction? Will
this hold for about 5 years?

I tried out the long screws vs the long spikes and the screws are holding
much better than the aluminum spikes, probably because the screw portion of
the gutter screw is slightly larger than the hole made by the original
spikes.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/FastenMas...25BR/202268254

Thanks for any input.
--

walter

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 08:58:16 -0800, "Walter E."
wrote:

My house has aluminum gutters. they are attached to the fascia boards with
7" aluminum spikes and ferrules. Many of these spikes have worked loose over
the last 30 years and the gutters are drooping. Home Depot sells 7" Gutter
Screws that replace the aluminum spikes. For superior holding power, they
are made of painted steel.

My question is, will the steel screws that go through the rim of the
aluminum gutter compromise the gutters due to electrolytic interaction? Will
this hold for about 5 years?

I tried out the long screws vs the long spikes and the screws are holding
much better than the aluminum spikes, probably because the screw portion of
the gutter screw is slightly larger than the hole made by the original
spikes.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/FastenMas...25BR/202268254

Thanks for any input.

URL: "... guarantees it will not rust or react with aluminum"

On Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 12:06:18 PM UTC-5, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 08:58:16 -0800, "Walter E."
wrote:

My house has aluminum gutters. they are attached to the fascia boards with
7" aluminum spikes and ferrules. Many of these spikes have worked loose over
the last 30 years and the gutters are drooping. Home Depot sells 7" Gutter
Screws that replace the aluminum spikes. For superior holding power, they
are made of painted steel.

My question is, will the steel screws that go through the rim of the
aluminum gutter compromise the gutters due to electrolytic interaction? Will
this hold for about 5 years?

I tried out the long screws vs the long spikes and the screws are holding
much better than the aluminum spikes, probably because the screw portion of
the gutter screw is slightly larger than the hole made by the original
spikes.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/FastenMas...25BR/202268254

Thanks for any input.

URL: "... guarantees it will not rust or react with aluminum"

I don't see why they wouldn't work either. I wouldn't worry about
interaction with the aluminum, just that over X years, the steel
screws might eventually start to rust. Aren't these what they use
for new gutter installs instead of the old aluminum spikes anyway?
They better work, I was planning on buying a box to use myself.
I had the gutters down for painting and am about to put them back up.

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 09:26:41 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 12:06:18 PM UTC-5, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 08:58:16 -0800, "Walter E."
wrote:

My house has aluminum gutters. they are attached to the fascia boards with
7" aluminum spikes and ferrules. Many of these spikes have worked loose over
the last 30 years and the gutters are drooping. Home Depot sells 7" Gutter
Screws that replace the aluminum spikes. For superior holding power, they
are made of painted steel.

My question is, will the steel screws that go through the rim of the
aluminum gutter compromise the gutters due to electrolytic interaction? Will
this hold for about 5 years?

I tried out the long screws vs the long spikes and the screws are holding
much better than the aluminum spikes, probably because the screw portion of
the gutter screw is slightly larger than the hole made by the original
spikes.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/FastenMas...25BR/202268254

Thanks for any input.

URL: "... guarantees it will not rust or react with aluminum"

I don't see why they wouldn't work either. I wouldn't worry about
interaction with the aluminum, just that over X years, the steel
screws might eventually start to rust. Aren't these what they use
for new gutter installs instead of the old aluminum spikes anyway?
They better work, I was planning on buying a box to use myself.
I had the gutters down for painting and am about to put them back up.

I've read to drill the holes where the spikes were and glue a small
wooden dowel in place, paint and remount the gutters. Ensures mounting
is secure with no chance of the hole failing (wobble out). I don't
have gutters, just FYI

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 08:58:16 -0800, "Walter E."
wrote:

My house has aluminum gutters. they are attached to the fascia boards with
7" aluminum spikes and ferrules. Many of these spikes have worked loose over
the last 30 years and the gutters are drooping. Home Depot sells 7" Gutter
Screws that replace the aluminum spikes. For superior holding power, they
are made of painted steel.

Does paint and being steel really make them hold better? I think they
just wanted to put all those words on the label, so they put them in
one sentence.

My question is, will the steel screws that go through the rim of the
aluminum gutter compromise the gutters due to electrolytic interaction? Will
this hold for about 5 years?

I don't know what mine are made of, probably steel, and I know they
are brown and match the brown gutters (which is why I think there is
paint on them), and they've worked fine for me.

It's been far more than 5 years since the first ones went in.

But only about half of the nails have been replaced with screws, and
that's only on the south side of the house. On the north side, out
of the sun, I think it's all the original nails, 36 years old.

I probably bought them at HD too. I have half a box left. If I come
across them I'll tell you waht it says.

I tried out the long screws vs the long spikes and the screws are holding
much better than the aluminum spikes, probably because the screw portion of
the gutter screw is slightly larger than the hole made by the original
spikes.

Right. If they made spikes that are bigger, they would hold better
too, but screws are better still.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/FastenMas...25BR/202268254

Thanks for any input.

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 10:28:26 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 09:26:41 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 12:06:18 PM UTC-5, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 08:58:16 -0800, "Walter E."
wrote:

My house has aluminum gutters. they are attached to the fascia boards with
7" aluminum spikes and ferrules. Many of these spikes have worked loose over
the last 30 years and the gutters are drooping. Home Depot sells 7" Gutter
Screws that replace the aluminum spikes. For superior holding power, they
are made of painted steel.

My question is, will the steel screws that go through the rim of the
aluminum gutter compromise the gutters due to electrolytic interaction? Will
this hold for about 5 years?

I tried out the long screws vs the long spikes and the screws are holding
much better than the aluminum spikes, probably because the screw portion of
the gutter screw is slightly larger than the hole made by the original
spikes.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/FastenMas...25BR/202268254

Thanks for any input.

URL: "... guarantees it will not rust or react with aluminum"

I don't see why they wouldn't work either. I wouldn't worry about
interaction with the aluminum, just that over X years, the steel
screws might eventually start to rust. Aren't these what they use
for new gutter installs instead of the old aluminum spikes anyway?
They better work, I was planning on buying a box to use myself.
I had the gutters down for painting and am about to put them back up.

I've read to drill the holes where the spikes were and glue a small
wooden dowel in place, paint and remount the gutters. Ensures mounting

Aren't most dowel rods made of harder wood than the fascia or whatever
the gutters are attached to, which is pine? Plus for sure you'll be
screwing in with the grain, instead of across it.

So if you do this, I think you'll have to drill a starter hole for the
gutter screws, and a hole the right size, since you're going to be up
on a ladder trying to screw in the screws. Other than that, it's a
good idea. You can drill the holes when you're still on the ground.

is secure with no chance of the hole failing (wobble out). I don't
have gutters, just FYI

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 14:40:09 -0500, Micky
wrote:


I've read to drill the holes where the spikes were and glue a small
wooden dowel in place, paint and remount the gutters. Ensures mounting

Aren't most dowel rods made of harder wood than the fascia or whatever
the gutters are attached to, which is pine? Plus for sure you'll be
screwing in with the grain, instead of across it.

So if you do this, I think you'll have to drill a starter hole for the
gutter screws, and a hole the right size, since you're going to be up
on a ladder trying to screw in the screws. Other than that, it's a
good idea. You can drill the holes when you're still on the ground.

A good idea but I didn't mean to give the impression I think it's
necessary. For one thing one could just use the screws and do the
dowel thing years later after they're not good enough anymore.

Plus, would you push the gutter down to drill the original hole in the
fascia? Hard to do if the other nails are in place and firm.

Or drill through the back of the gutter? Not hard but it puts your
drill at an angle, while the screw or spike will be at a different
angle since it will be going through the hole** at the front of the
gutter. Plus the gutter will sag a little now that the hole(s) in
the back are bigger.

**Or you could use a long bit and go through both gutter holes, but
then both holes will be bigger than they were and the gutter will sag
and wobble in the wind on both of them.

Another thing one can do is the same thing I do with smaller projects.
With smaller projects, I put kitchen match sticks (minus the sulfur)
or round toothpicks in the hole and then the screw. This might be
enough or one can make up some bigger slivers of wood and put them in
the hole where the gutter screws go so the screws will go in there
tightly. The original hole in the back of the gutter will of course
be much more than big enough. Make the slivers long enough and they
will hit something so they don't fall out the back***. Or if
necessary, bend each one 90 degrees (it will break but not completely)
so a little piece of them is sideways, in front, to keep the whole
sliver from going farther into the hole. No need for glue. That
sounds like the simplest and easiest and as good as anything.

***You can tell that I don't remember where exactly the gutter screws
go or what is behind it, more wood or an open space.

is secure with no chance of the hole failing (wobble out). I don't
have gutters, just FYI

On Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 11:58:18 AM UTC-5, Walter E. wrote:
My house has aluminum gutters. they are attached to the fascia boards with
7" aluminum spikes and ferrules. Many of these spikes have worked loose over
the last 30 years and the gutters are drooping. Home Depot sells 7" Gutter
Screws that replace the aluminum spikes. For superior holding power, they
are made of painted steel.

My question is, will the steel screws that go through the rim of the
aluminum gutter compromise the gutters due to electrolytic interaction? Will
this hold for about 5 years?

I tried out the long screws vs the long spikes and the screws are holding
much better than the aluminum spikes, probably because the screw portion of
the gutter screw is slightly larger than the hole made by the original
spikes.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/FastenMas...25BR/202268254

Thanks for any input.
--

walter

Another option is to abandon the current spikes & ferrules and use brackets:

There are many types to choose from. A couple of examples are these
internal ones:

http://www.currysgutter.com/sitebuil...s/brackets.jpg

and these external ones:

http://img2-3.timeinc.net/toh/i/g/11...19-gutters.gif

When I had my gutters replaced a few years ago, they got rid of the
spikes (which were doing what yours are doing) and used the
internal brackets.

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 13:31:44 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03
wrote:

Another option is to abandon the current spikes & ferrules and use brackets:

There are many types to choose from. A couple of examples are these
internal ones:

http://www.currysgutter.com/sitebuil...s/brackets.jpg

and these external ones:

http://img2-3.timeinc.net/toh/i/g/11...19-gutters.gif

When I had my gutters replaced a few years ago, they got rid of the
spikes (which were doing what yours are doing) and used the
internal brackets.

The internal sure look better. Less fasteners; thus, less chance of
opening the wood to water exposure. I guess caulk could be used to
seal the external bracket screws from water intrusion, via caulk in
the holes of the fasteners before mounting.

On Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 12:28:32 PM UTC-6, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 09:26:41 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 12:06:18 PM UTC-5, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 08:58:16 -0800, "Walter E."
wrote:

My house has aluminum gutters. they are attached to the fascia boards with
7" aluminum spikes and ferrules. Many of these spikes have worked loose over
the last 30 years and the gutters are drooping. Home Depot sells 7" Gutter
Screws that replace the aluminum spikes. For superior holding power, they
are made of painted steel.

My question is, will the steel screws that go through the rim of the
aluminum gutter compromise the gutters due to electrolytic interaction? Will
this hold for about 5 years?

I tried out the long screws vs the long spikes and the screws are holding
much better than the aluminum spikes, probably because the screw portion of
the gutter screw is slightly larger than the hole made by the original
spikes.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/FastenMas...25BR/202268254

Thanks for any input.

URL: "... guarantees it will not rust or react with aluminum"

I don't see why they wouldn't work either. I wouldn't worry about
interaction with the aluminum, just that over X years, the steel
screws might eventually start to rust. Aren't these what they use
for new gutter installs instead of the old aluminum spikes anyway?
They better work, I was planning on buying a box to use myself.
I had the gutters down for painting and am about to put them back up.

I've read to drill the holes where the spikes were and glue a small
wooden dowel in place, paint and remount the gutters. Ensures mounting
is secure with no chance of the hole failing (wobble out). I don't
have gutters, just FYI

I'd ream the hole, coat a big plastic or lead anchor with waterproof yellow wood glue and hammer it into the hole. I've done it with plastic anchors hammered into wood studs indoors and it held some shelves up very well. The screws had pulled out of the wood when too much weight was put on the shelves.
(€¢€¿€¢)

[8~{} Uncle Screwy Monster