DMR Gutters Company Profile Page

Greetings & Congratulations!
You've found this web site, which is our only promotion to reach new clients, which also has a wealth of valuable information about rain management, roofing and moss control. I am just a hands-on small time gutter contractor working in the Portland, Oregon Metro area and also busy with custom copper fabrication for clients across the country through my other web site Copper-By-Design.com. I have the highest reputation for quality you will find in the country in most any field for that matter.

That may sound like just fancy hype; 'too good to be true', but just one highlight of my Quality Standards is my exclusive 8X building code strength gutter installation w/stainless steel screws in stronger hidden hanger than is sold locally to gutter contractors. When getting other bids see the reaction you'll get when asking about that detail. Instead of just following building code of just 1 nail every 4 feet, like most gutter contractors will do, I use a pair of #12 high grade stainless steel screws every 2 feet with stronger rust free Monster Hidden Hanger brackets. These stronger hidden hangers cannot be acquired locally because of the lack of demand by other gutter contractors here in the Northwest. That is very telling in of it's self.

I've had no need to advertise locally or do home shows, since I have invested thousands of hours on this comprehensive web site and receive enough exposure with search engine placement to keep me plenty busy. I show proof of the highest quality standards and integrity you will find, with glowing reviews on Angie's List.

This is a copy of the interview for Angie's List we did for their July 2008 magazine about:

I've found a much better grade of clientele from this Internet exposure. Much more intelligent homeowners who used web based search engines and Angie's List to research in order to find the best contractors, instead of just looking for the cheapest deal in Town. Which is a compliment to you, since you are reading this now. I have personally been working on this web site over the last decade. Not because I need more business, but because I feel it is imperative to clearly communicate with my clients in this way.

Because of my diligent efforts here I have been told by dozens of clients how my web site is clearly the most comprehensive web site on rain management in the world: with a good 300 web pages spread out over this business web site and http://copper-by-design.com along with over 3,000 digital photos that link to full screen images for a closer look, or link to a whole separate web page with a gallery of related photos and a more detailed description of that project.

I do free on-site quotes for local homeowners, as the CCB requires of all licensed contractors, but I have found it works best to develop more of an interactive partnership with my clients first by working out some of the details through e-mail first (see Latest News page for details). These days pretty much everyone has a digital camera and knows how to send them through e-mail. I have had to do this with most all my clientele over the last several years for custom copper fabrication, since most of them are not located here on the West Coast.

Since I am still a hands-on contractor I couldn't possibly do the volume of work I could sell and it would be impossible for me to drive around town all day biding jobs, so I request a simple pre-qualification effort on your part. I would not be able to get any work done otherwise, as I am already booked several months out. I will not sacrifice quality for a larger production volume.

I explain my bid process on my Latest News web page
(it is not nearly as complicated as you might imagine)

I would like to believe I am well worth the wait, but if your project cannot wait to be fit it into my schedule you can print out my set of quality standards and use that to help interview other gutter contractors:
http://dmr-gutters.com/qs.doc

You can also consider my professional parts delivery service to do the installation yourself or with some help using my list of installation instructions and recommended list of tools. I can normally make a delivery within a week:
http://dmr-gutters.com/del.htm

For a good honest free resource to find reliable contractors in
your area that your neighbors have used and reviewed

"Quality and service is not expensive, it's priceless!"

Copper Gutters

Tara North - 39 photos
S. E. Portland, Oregon 2008

The Bennett House - 31 photos
S. E. Portland, Oregon 2007

The Kistler House on the Historical Registry
317 photos - Forest Grove, Oregon 2004

The Yocum House, just above the Zoo
72 photos - S. W. Portland, Oregon 2002

Bookmarks & Links	Site Map	Latest News & Schedule	Company History
*Who is DMR Gutters?*		Photo Pages	*Our Personal Ethics*
What's wrong with steel gutters?		Local Parts Deliveries	Charity Work
What if you are not local to us?		Non-local Parts Shipments	Awards and Referrals
Gutter Contractor Education		Custom Copper Work	Our Contact Info
You will also find good resource information on the highest standards in:
Gutter Installation		Gutter History F.A.Q.	Roofing
Downspout Comparisons		Business Ethics	Roof Flashing
Leaf Protection Comparisons		General Philosopy	Moss Control

Aluminum Gutters

The Olson House - 69 photos
S. E. Portland, Oregon 2007

The Blosser House - 26 photos
Milwaukie, Oregon 2005

The Champion House w/metal roof
S. W. Portland, Oregon 2005

The Corcoran House
West Linn, Oregon 2005

Who is DMR Gutters?
DMR Gutters is a small company with no employees based in Portland, Oregon, just 10 minutes South of Down Town. I've been licensed, insured, and bonded for sheet metal work in the State of Oregon CCB #92250 since 1993 without a single dispute filed. I am prohibited from doing any roofing related work, because of the high liability and liability insurance cost involved. More specifically I am a residential gutter contactor and have a custom copper fabrication shop. I have specialized in sheet metal rain management products for nearly 2 decades now.

Several years ago I chose to carry the type of insurance to do roofing as well, but since the cost of liability insurance for roofing is over 500% higher than any of the other types of construction it was too expensive for a small company like mine, who cannot possibly do enough volume to cover that expense. That's sad, since in my travels I have yet to see evidence of a decent roofer who is committed to doing good work and use materials designed to last more than a few years (no joke), since contractors are only required to provide a 1 year warranty on the work they do.

I've worked hard over the last decade and a half to maintain the highest reputation for quality and honest work, which is a primary reason I have not been able to grow and take on employees. I'm primarily a hands-on contractor, specializing in low-maintenance no-clog gutters at a more reasonable cost. There are dozens of other leaf protection concepts out there, but they are more expensive than my copper gutters, so even if they worked as promised, they are not worth the cost. My bid for the copper gutters on Tara North was only $15k, where a competitor wanted $29k for less quality, according to my client.

I also have a custom sheet metal design & fabrication shop to build project like you see above that was shipped to a client in Indiana. I primarily make custom 8 sided copper roof caps and decorative chimney caps for clients across this Nation. The custom work I do is fabricated with a heavy-duty solid 20oz copper or thicker. Some times 48oz copper is used, which is 3lb per square foot and too thick to cut with tin snips.

You will see a lot of copper gutter photos here and other custom work, but most of the gutter work I have done over the last decade and a half has been in pre-painted aluminum sheet metal. I refuse to install steel gutters, because I do not believe in planned obsolescence. For my latest availability see my Latest News web page.

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Check my company’s ratings at Angie’s List.


Watch out for Gutter Contractors pushing steel gutters! A little history: Back in the 1960s when aluminum was developed as a cost efficient rust free alternative to steel gutters people started seeing it in all the adds, so most all gutter contractors had to switch over to compete. After a while it was not much of a sales advantage, since it was so common-place, so I saw it less and less in adds as the catch word and I all expected they would use aluminum still, but sadly most contractors reverted back to using steel for gutter fabrication to unsuspecting clients. Through out the last 3 decades builders have been using steel for gutters on over 90% of new houses built. Why not steel? Depending on how frequently you had your steel gutters cleaned; steel gutters will last between 10 to 20 years before the metal has become so rusty that it has holes through the bottom and cause nasty rust stains as well. The steel downspouts they use are even worse. They are prone to clog easily and are noisy for hours after the rain has stopped; drip, drip, drip ............... Steel can be detected with a simple magnet test, since steel is the only metal that will attract a magnet. This issue is very important, since rusty steel gutters accounts for over 75% of the need for gutter replacement. Gutters detaching from the house is the second leading cause and here is a common example of that problem. Why do I need to worry about these issues? Sadly most businessmen focus more on maximizing profit over client service, counting on Homeowners not networking and just relying on advertising to reach new clients to snow. They see building codes and the CCB as a thorn in their side. Not as minimal recommendations like I do. Giving little to no thought of how they would like to be treated by other contractors working on their own home. Steel for gutters is pushed because it is a little cheaper metal and offers them planned obsolescence for more repeat business. They will adamantly claim that steel makes for much stronger gutter. That is a lie they push to sell you on this cheaper metal that will not last nearly as long. Even if their claim were true; damaged gutters account for well under 10% of gutter replacement work, so it's only a minor issue at best. Try to see their obvious motivation for this deception. They are just fighting to compete with other gutter contractors for the lowest possible bid to make the sale, while making the maximum profit margins till. Simple as that. What is even funnier is how if they were the actual installer doing the work like I am; to lift those heavier steel gutters and struggle with driving in those 7" nail spikes while holding the gutter up on top of a 2 story ladder they would not work with steel. They are only slick talking salesmen that cannot be trusted. What do I need to demand? As simple logic would dictate; I only work with rust-free sheet-metal with stainless steel screws (nail-free) for a lasting rain management product. Building code does not require contractors to use aluminum or to use of screws. Although, when aluminum is used for making gutters it is code to be a lot thicker than steel, in order to make sure is as strong. So you have a metal that is about twice as thick as steel and will not rust. Realize how most of the money you pay for most any construction work is for labor and their business expenses. Not the cost of parts, so it is a waste to use cheape materials that will not last 1/3 the time. What about Plastic Gutters? Plastic gutters are even worse than steel for longevity. They are so soft that you cannot lean a ladder against them for cleaning the gutters and servicing the roof. They may not rust, but within a decade the sun breaks down the plasticizer and they become brittle and crack easily. They're actually more expensive parts, but the seals fail in short order. There are more details on this issue at the top of my #2 FAQ web page.
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What if I am not local to you? DMR Gutters also sells unique low-maintenance gutter parts and custom copper sheet metal fabrication to clients across the continental USA through http://copper-by-design.com . Like: gazebo caps, scuppers or leaderheads, and chimney caps. (see my 'Shipping' web page for details). I also provide some of the best unbiased advice on Roofing Quality Standards in the industry, as well as another web page on Safe Moss Removal and Effective Maintenance. I do have a toll free phone number, but please read my contact info page before calling us. Homeowners: DMR Gutters is licensed to work only in Oregon State and prohibited from doing roofing related work, as the liability insurance for roofing is over 500% higher than all the other types of construction. There is no 'Gutter Workers Network' for us to refer a good local contractor to you. If you are searching for a reliable gutter contractor, this web site is one of the most comprehensive and honest web sites on gutters and roofing in the world. You should find the information here very helpful to better know what questions to ask from your local contractors, and be able to weed them out to find one that you can hopefully rely on. In doing so you should save you a lot of money and future headaches (three or four sets of crappy gutters would cost more than one good set). If they claim they cannot do what I do or get the parts I buy for my clients as listed on this web site, that would be very telling, and you will then know not to hire them. They can order the custom parts from us through this web site, or you can order these parts yourself. Note: If you do find the information here very helpful, it would be kind of you to show your appreciation for the generous advice I spent thousands of hours to provide here for your benefit. Perhaps this information was worth enough for you to send us a nice gift certificate for dinner at a local restaurant here? A favorite of ours is Newport Bay. Don't feel too bad about not bothering with this kind gesture though, since it has been extremely rare. Far less than 1 in a 1,000 take the time to even send us a nice note of their gratitude.
. For a good honest resource to find reliable contractors in your area that your neighbors have used and reviewed . .
Gutter Contractor Education: You can find here that I also have an apprenticeship program and DMR Gutter franchises for new contractors to own my system of gutter installation, as well as help set-up a good personalized web site like this one.
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Just over 200' of copper gutters and downspouts prepped and loaded for my client Cam Buck in Troutdale, Oregon For more about my equipment on wheels, click on the photo above

This may be a bit off topic, but I have a question for you to consider: why has pneumatic motors for cars been suppressed for a century now, when it beats the pants off hydrogen or eclectic cars? This is just a pressurized air driven motor, which is not a new tech by any means. They now make 5k PSI tank made with a carbon fiber shell for lighter weight and better safety that can provide a 200 mile range per fill, has no pollution to speak of, or risk of a violent fiery explosion if in a serious collision, and far less hazardous to land fill issues than worn-out batteries, as well as a fraction of the weight for the energy source and motor. No expensive processing of the fuel, which can be set up at any fueling station for a fraction of the cost to recharge a tank in just a few minutes. Please write to your Congressman and tell them about this old-tech solution to our current crisis.

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I do not mean to get political here, but these days it is hard to just ignore

I do not mean to get political here,
but these days it is too hard to just ignore

Let's Fix Democracy in This Country First
(Actually we are a Republic, not a Democracy)

You Can't Be Pro-War And Pro-Life At The Same Time

Who Would Jesus Torture or bomb? Which God Do You Kill For?

No, Seriously, Why Did We Invade? Doesn't that make us the terrorists?

We Need a President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language

Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Blood: Is It Vietnam Yet?

Bush Didn't Care About Most White People Either

When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46
(we should be driving pneumatic cars)