Exterior
Gutters & Skylights in Anchorage
Gutter installation, downspout routing that actually moves water away from the foundation, and skylight installation and reflashing.
Gutters in Alaska are a different conversation than gutters in the Lower 48. A gutter full of ice is a load hanging off your fascia, and a downspout that dumps against the foundation is the reason your basement is damp in April.
We install seamless gutters, size the downspouts to the roof area, and route the discharge far enough from the house that meltwater goes somewhere useful. On roofs with chronic ice damming we install heat cable in the gutter and downspout so there is a drain path when the melt starts.
Gutters and skylights share the same failure mode: flashing. A skylight that leaks is almost always a flashing problem, not a glass problem.
Scope
What the Job Covers
Seamless gutter installation
Run on site to the length of the fascia, hung with hidden hangers at a spacing that holds under a snow and ice load.
Downspouts and extensions
Sized to the roof area and discharged well away from the foundation, with extensions that can be pulled for winter.
Heat cable
In-gutter and in-downspout cable on the elevations that ice up, so the melt has a path instead of backing up under the shingles.
Gutter cleaning and repair
Clearing, resealing seams and end caps, and rehanging sagging runs before they pull off the fascia.
Skylight installation
New units cut in and flashed with the manufacturer's flashing kit, integrated into the roofing rather than sealed with caulk.
Skylight reflashing and replacement
Old units swapped and the opening reflashed, usually the right move when a re-roof is happening anyway.
Alaska specific
Where Your Meltwater Goes Decides How Dry Your Basement Is
A 1,500 square foot roof in Anchorage sheds thousands of gallons over a season. If the downspouts drop that within three feet of the foundation, it saturates the backfill and finds its way in during breakup.
The cheapest basement moisture fix we know is extending downspouts six to ten feet and correcting the grade so the first few feet slope away from the house. We do that before recommending anything more expensive.
For skylights, the Alaska-specific detail is snow. A skylight sitting low on a slope collects drift and the meltwater sits against the top flashing. We set units high enough on the slope where the framing allows and use the full flashing kit rather than improvising.
How it runs
From Estimate to Punch List
- 01
Roof and drainage look
We check where the water currently goes, where ice forms, and whether the grade at the discharge point works against you.
- 02
Sizing
Gutter profile and downspout count sized to the roof area and pitch, not one size for the whole house.
- 03
Install
Gutters hung with proper slope, downspouts routed and secured, heat cable run and connected where specified.
- 04
Test
We run water through the system and confirm it drains where it should before we leave.
Questions
Gutters & Skylights FAQs
Should I take my gutters down for the winter in Anchorage?
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No, but they should be clear before freeze-up and the downspout extensions should be pulled or angled so a plow or a drift does not tear them off. If a gutter ices up every year, the real fix is attic ventilation plus heat cable, not removing the gutter.
Do gutter guards work here?
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For leaves and needles, yes. For ice, no. Nothing keeps a gutter from filling with ice if the roof above it is warm. Guards are a maintenance improvement, not an ice dam solution.
Why does my skylight leak?
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Almost always the flashing, not the unit. The most common causes we find are a skylight installed without a proper flashing kit, or a re-roof where the shingles were run over the old flashing instead of replacing it.
Can you add a skylight to an existing roof?
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Yes. It involves cutting the roof deck, framing the opening, and building a light shaft through the attic to the ceiling. We handle all of it including the drywall inside the shaft.
We handle gutters & skylights throughout Anchorage, Eagle River, Chugiak, Girdwood, Palmer, Wasilla.
Related
Often Done Together
Roofing
Tear-offs, re-roofs, and repairs built for Anchorage snow load, with the ventilation detail that keeps ice dams from forming.
Learn more
Siding
New siding and siding repair with house wrap, flashing, and trim detailing that keeps wind-driven rain out of the wall.
Learn more
Foundations & Excavation
Foundation repair, new foundations, site excavation, drainage correction, and seismic retrofit of older Anchorage homes.
Learn more
Pressure Washing
Siding, decks, driveways, and walkways washed clean of winter grit, road film, and the algae that builds up on the shady side.
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Free estimates throughout Anchorage, Eagle River, and the Mat-Su.