10 • The Southwest Portland Post
FEATURES
EarthTalk TM
(Continued from Page 9)
Dear EarthTalk: We will need to
replace our house gutters soon. What
are our best options from an environ-
mental perspective?
--Jodie Green, Dallas, TX
First understand clearly why your
gutters need to be replaced. Are they
rusted or broken? Are the fasteners no
longer holding them in place? Or have
the gutters leaked and failed to keep
water out of your house? Answers to
these questions will help you decide
which type of gutter to choose.
Use a material that is the most du-
rable for your climate; ultimately the
longer your gutters last, the less en-
vironmental cost there will be in the
product lifecycle, from manufacturing
to recycling.
A cheaper product that degrades
twice as fast as another would not be
the best choice, even if it does have
a greener production process: The
extra cost of having to fi x your water-
damaged home—and the health prob-
lems that could arise from exposure to
mold—would make a “cheaper” gutter
in reality much more costly.
“Galvanized steel, copper and alu-
minum are preferred gutter materials,”
reports Austin Energy, the Texas capi-
tol’s community-owned electric utility.
Copper is a more expensive, high-end
gutter material, as are stainless steel and
wood, although wood is used mostly in
historical restoration.
According to home improvement
expert Don Vandervort, who writes
for ThisOldHouse.com, steel and alu-
minum each have big pluses. Steel is
sturdy, while aluminum will not rust.
Copper and stainless steel are sturdy
and lasting, too, says Vandervort, but
they can cost three to four times as
much as steel or aluminum.
“Steel gutters can stand up to lad-
ders and fallen branches better than
aluminum,” he says. “But even thick
galvanized steel eventually rusts.” He
advises buying “the thickest you can
afford.” Austin Energy says that gutters
should be a minimum of 26 gauge gal-
vanized steel or 0.025 inch aluminum.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is also used
for gutters, but “can get brittle with age
or in extreme cold,” says Vandervort,
and cannot carry as much snow load
as metal gutters. PVC is also not a very
green-friendly choice.
The Center for Health, Environment
and Justice (CHEJ) calls PVC plastic
“one of the most hazardous consumer
products ever created…dangerous to
human health and the environment
throughout its entire life cycle.”
When produced or burned, says
CHEJ, PVC plastic releases dioxins, a
group of potent synthetic chemicals that
can cause cancer and harm the immune
and reproductive systems.
Replacing your gutters can be an
unfortunate expense, but it can provide
an environmental opportunity, because
the way you handle your roof’s water
is important.
Consider linking your gutters to
a “rooftop catchment system” that
captures rainwater in a cistern or rain
barrels and can then be used to water
non-edible plantings. Effi cient water
use is a guideline in the U.S. Green
Building Council’s LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design)
for Homes standard for certifying
green-built homes.
Finally, if you have a problem with
debris, consider a RainTube. This recy-
cled-plastic gutter insert (which won
the 2008 Sustainable Product Award
from Green Building Pages) keeps gut-
ters clear of debris, preventing overfl ow
into your house.
Of course, cleaning your gutters
now and then is probably the best
May 2009
The experts prefer galvanized steel, copper and aluminum gutters for longer life and
therefore lower environmental as well as fi nancial cost. Cleaning your gutters now and
then is the best environmental option and may preclude any need for replacement. (Photo
by Thomas and Dianne Jones, courtesy Flickr)
environmental option in that it may
head off any need for replacement or
modifi cation.
CONTACTS: Austin Energy, www.
austinenergy.com; U.S. Green Building
Council, www.usgbc.org; RainTube,
www.raintube.com; Green Building
Pages, www.greenbuildingpages.com.
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL
QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box
5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@
emagazine.com. Read past columns
at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/
archives.php.
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