New Gutter Guards for the rest of the gutters

 Back in June 2024, we got a new roof and gutters and in September we put in inexpensive plastic gutter guards.  But Michael gave us some high-end metal gutter guards and we put those on the garage, by the back yard, with a mental note to re-evaluate the situation over time.

We had a couple of heavy rains, plus fall leaves, and such.  The plastic gutter guards collapsed in a couple of places, under the weight of leaves (at least), while the metal gutter guards do not seem to have changed at all.  So we thought it best to replace all the plastic gutter guards with metal.

We were able to buy two boxes of the same metal gutter guards from Costco.com.  This provides 48 feet of gutter guards, 24 feet per box, for a total of $97.40, delivered to our house (5 Feb 2025).  Then the weather turned cold, so it took a month before being able to install them.

First we had to remove the plastic gutter guards.

 Then we could start installing the new metal gutter guards.  Mostly that was a simple process of sliding it under the shingles, removing the plastic cover from the two sided tape and taping it down into place.  The hardest part was in the corner.

 The only other issue was at the ends, when a 4-foot section had to be cut to fit the size of the gutters.  But it went smoothly.

 After they were taped down, I went back and uses #8 5/8 inch metal screws to screw them down in place.

 The next day, I did the section of the roof along the garage near the front door.

 

 

Finishing the interior of a Skylight

 We had to be on the roof to fix the squirrel damage to the siding, and while there we checked on the solar panels and the skylights.  I noticed one of the skylights was rather unfinished at the top, right under the glass.  That is the skylight in the central bathroom, and is the "shortest" one.  I can set a ladder up on the bathroom floor and get up to the glass from the inside for it.  The other two are taller, and I can't reach the glass.

Originally the idea was just to clean the inside of the glass, but looking at the way that the wall stopped when it got to the skylight, I figured it needed to be sealed and painted.

So I got one of those cans of foam seal and insulate and sprayed it all around the top of the wall.

The next day, after it had dried, I trimmed the excess off, and then used sheetrock mud (drywall compound) to create a smooth finish.  After that was dry, sand and apply another coat of mud.

Then sand and paint.  Two coats of the Sherwin Williams 7653 Silverpointe paint that was used in the central bathroom when it was remodeled.

Wait for the paint to dry, remove the masking tape, clean up, and it is done.

Squirrel Damage to Exterior Siding

A door-to-door salesman came by and wanted to paint my house.  He pointed out a spot where there was visible damage to the wood siding over the garage from squirrels chewing on the wood.

 We've had this problem before.  Last time, I painted and added Tabasco sauce to the paint to try to make it undesirable for them to eat, but apparently they are back.  I also found another spot on the East side of the house, near the window into the garage.

I could paint again, but that's a temporary solution, masking the real problem.  And if they kieep chewing on the siding, eventually they will get thru, into the attic.

So I decided to cover the areas where they have been chewing with sheet metal, which they can't chew thru.  I found a roll of roof flashing at Home Depot which I could use.  I also needed caulk, and paint and screws.  It all came to $64.51 for materials.

First I made templates for both spots using a cut-up cardboard box, then once I had the angles and sizes correct, I cut that shape out of the roof flashing.

 

Then I slathered caulk all around the area where the metal patch would go, and stuck the metal patch over it.

 

After letting the caulk dry, I could then spray paint the metal, the caulk and everything to get the patch to mostly blend in with the existing siding.

The little one on the side of the garage got the same treatment -- a cardboard template, cutting that from the roll of roofing flashing.   But in this case, it seemed we only needed to cover the 1x4 trim piece.

But in the end, it blends in pretty well.