FAQ
Answers to the most
common questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes!
We carry:
- Full-coverage insurance on all of our vehicles
- Worker's Compensation insurance to care for our employees in the event of injury
- General liability insurance to protect your investment if your property were to be damaged in any way
Yes. We are a proper and legally licensed business with the Florida Division of Corporations. You can find our active listing under our name, Gecko Gutter LLC, on the Florida Division of Corporations website here: www.sunbiz.org
Gutter installation is considered an optional exterior attachment. Because gutters do not affect the structural integrity of your home, they do not require a license from Florida's Division of Professional Licensure.
As of 2023, Orange, Seminole, and Lake Counties do not require a permit for gutter installation. Individual counties in Florida have different permitting rules. If you are located outside these areas, please check with the permitting office for your county.
HOAs can require submittal of information such as your chosen gutter color, placement, size, type, material, and more. Some require a copy of your installer's licensure and insurances, and/or written authorization before proceeding with your rain gutter installation. Others require very little or even nothing at all. You will need to check with your property's HOA to determine their specific requirements.
The most common way gutters fail is at the seams, where pieces are joined. A seamless gutter means that all of your straight pieces of gutter will be run out in one continuous piece, with fewer seams to invite leakage or ruin the smooth line of your gutter.
Aluminum is the most common gutter material by far, with vinyl coming in a distant second. Vinyl is the cheapest option; however, aluminum gutters are stronger than vinyl, allowing them to carry more water. Aluminum is not affected by the Florida sun, lasting around 20 years with regular maintenance.
Corrosion is a generic term that refers to the deterioration of a material, usually metals and alloys (metal mixed with other metals or elements).
Rust is only one type of corrosion, and the only metal that rusts is iron! Since our aluminum gutters are 100% aluminum (not an alloy) and have no iron in them, they will not rust.
Here comes the BUT. Aluminum does not rust, but it does corrode in other ways! Aluminum is a highly reactive metal, which means that it reacts with a variety of things such as:
–overly acidic rainwater (can be caused by car exhaust and other air pollutants)
– various materials and elements found in sand and dirt (carried into your gutters on windy days just as it builds up on your vehicle)
–decomposing vegetation such as leaves left in gutters
–ingredients like silica in the shingle grit that wears off of your roof
Eventually, as with any material, your aluminum gutters will begin to show visible corrosive deterioration. These processes will lead to leaks, and require replacement. How long will that process take? The standard usable life of gutters is 20+ years. The “+” depends strongly on how well they are maintained.
The takeaway here is: The cleaner you keep your gutters the better they can fend off the corrosive process, giving you every penny’s worth out of your rain gutter investment.
Standard residential K-style gutter comes in 5", 6", and 7" widths. 5" is often insufficient to handle the amount of water that runs off of a roof in heavy rain. Gecko offers 6" and 7" gutter, which capably handles the large amounts of precipitation distributed during Florida rainy seasons.
The vast majority of Florida homes have 6" gutter. 7" may be necessary for homes with a tile or metal roof, due to excessive overhang blocking some of the gutter opening, or non-standard height of the roof material creating an opportunity for water to overshoot 6" gutter. Your estimator can help you decide what size is best for your home.
K-style gutter is the type of gutter you will see on almost all residential homes. The back is flat so that your home's fascia can support it (see images below), and the front is bowed out to catch the greatest amount of rain during heavy rainfall.
The easy answer is to discuss your home's unique issues with one of our estimators. Other than that, we'd recommend you start by identifying any suspected problem areas, such as areas where:
a) water is digging troughs in the ground, wearing soil away from the exterior corners, walls, and foundation of your home
b) excess rainwater is carrying supporting earth away from sidewalks, patios, A/C pads, landscaping, etc.
c) you see mold growing on the fascia or walls of your home
d) dirt and mud are splashing onto the paint, stucco, or siding of your home
e) water accumulates, impeding use of the area
f) water is sitting, inviting insects and mosquito breeding
We are always available to perform repairs large and small. A $250 minimum labor charge will apply for repairs to offset the truck's dispatching, machine and tools, gas, labor, insurance, and administrative costs.
We offer a lifetime warranty on labor and a 20 year warranty on materials.
We opened our doors for business in August 2020 and have already had the pleasure of serving hundreds of customers with tens of thousands of feet of gutter.
Our main office is located in Apopka, with satellite offices in Mount Dora and Longwood. We sincerely appreciate our customers who choose to support local businesses.
Yes! And all colors are the same price! While black and white are the most common colors by far, you can choose from a large selection of prepainted aluminum. Certain special-order colors can sometimes take weeks to arrive, so ask about lead time and consider your scheduling needs when choosing a color. Here is a sample of colors that are normally available, : https://www.spectrametals.com/colors/polycoat Ask your estimator to show you a current color sample deck, as colors change yearly.
Absolutely! If you want to match your downspouts to the primary color of your house to “camouflage” them, just pick your color! There is no additional charge for this.
Not at this time. The most common residential use of supergutter involves installation of the supergutter (box-shaped gutter) between the pool enclosure frame and the roof fascia of residential homes. Because installing or replacing supergutter usually includes detaching it from a pool enclosure frame, we recommend that customers who need assistance with supergutter contact their pool enclosure company, in order to ensure that any existing warranty remains intact.
We accept cash, Zelle, and checks.
We also accept debit cards, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express through the Clover payment system. Please note that Clover charges a 3% credit card fee for all card payments.
Yes! We offer 90-day, same-as-cash financing for all projects over $1,000. Once your gutter project has been completed to your satisfaction, payments are due as follows:
50% due upon completion
25% due on day 45
25% due on day 90
We do not charge any fee whatsoever for this option.
We use a system called Clover, which allows us to take your debit or credit card information over the phone or send you an electronic invoice that you can pay easily through your phone or computer, whichever you prefer.
Please be aware that Clover charges a 3% fee for their service 🙁
We NEVER ask for money up front. Your balance is due in full upon successful and complete installation of your gutter system.
All three major gutter suppliers we source from distribute .027 gauge, 15" aluminum gutter roll as their quality standard for residential gutter work. It is sturdy enough for anything Florida can throw at it. Ask your estimator to show you a sample.
Gecko Gutter offers two types of gutter guard (aka: leaf guard):
Bulldog Leaf Guard - this is an excellent screw-on product that is attached directly to your gutter and fascia. It will keep out all general debris. Due to the slightly larger hole size, Bulldog does allow shingle grit to pass through, requiring very occasional cleaning every few years.
Stainless Steel Screen - this is also a screw-on product, bent to adjust to your specific roofline (as shown) and must be installed at the correct pitch to be optimally effective. The mesh is stainless steel, and the ribbing is 100% aluminum. Because the mesh size of this product is significantly smaller (550 microns/.55mm), it does an excellent job of blocking all foliage and shingle grit from your gutters, eliminating the need for gutter cleaning.
Gecko Gutter currently serves primarily the North Orlando area, with particular attention to our home base of Apopka. We look forward to offering regular service in South Orlando beginning late 2023.