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Greetings
& Congratulations! Since 1992 I have personally replaced gutters on over 2000 homes. That's around 800,000 feet of gutter and downspouts. I have also designed and built hundreds of custom copper rain wear for clients out of State through my other web site Copper-By-Design.com. I use to do roofing in the late 90's and masonry work, but the liability insurance being 5X the cost was too much for what little volume I could manage to do each year. Even if you are not local to the Portland, Oregon Metro Area this web site also has a wealth of valuable information about rain management, roofing and moss control. Believe it or not I'm still just a small time hands-on Gutter Contractor, which is how I have maintained 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 w/stronger hidden hanger than is sold locally to gutter contractors. I use a pair of #12 high grade stainless steel screws every 2 feet with stronger rust free Monster Hidden Hanger brackets I have to special order from back East just to get them. These stronger hidden hangers cannot be acquired locally because of the lack of demand by the other gutter contractors here in the Northwest. That is very telling in of it's self. When getting bids look for the reaction you'll get when asking them about this detail alone. Most Gutter Contractors will just follow the minimum building code of just 1 nail every 4 feet. Here's just a few of my personal quotes that are relevant to this issue: "Nails are for Neanderthals!" "Any product is only as good as it's weakest aspect." "Planned obsolescence should be a crime, because it is intentional fraud! Yet it is standard procedure in most industry through out the world" Yes, I am very passionate about these issues and do my best to fight such corruption by at least being a good example to the business community in every aspect of what I do. Anything is only as good as it's weakest link. Regardless of claims of 50 year coatings on metal like zinc or paint; they simply do not last more than a couple decade at best. Ponder the paint on cars, which is much better than you'll find on any gutter or roof panel. What car have you seen that did not need repainted within 20 years. That even when you've had it waxed regularly. What would it cost to have a metal roof cleaned and waxed every 6 months? It simply does not happen, and I know those paint coatings scratch a lot easier than any original automotive paint. As a highly ethical person my greatest challenge is to design each products with the best blend between: Aesthetics, Function, Strength, Longevity, and of course made at a reasonable Cost for the best benefit to our clients. These 5 elements do not naturally blend together cohesively, but are more apt to oppose each other, so my challenge is to reach the best possible balance between each of these important elements. Not to push what I want to sell. Why use a life-time metal like aluminum or specially copper if it is poorly installed or so thin and weak that it dents easily and more prone to wind or snow damage; making it look terrible within a few decades? I will never build in planned obsolescence!
Working with this philosophy in mind I've had no need to advertise locally over the last decade or do home shows to reach new clients. I've personally invested thousands of hours on this comprehensive web site. Not because I need the work. It is because I feel it is important to clearly communicate with my clients in this way. Also to influence and teach other Gutter Contractors how it should be done.
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I attributed my success to doing better quality work at a more reasonable price, along with good communication though this web site and e-mail: (they requested not to be named here)
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Because of my diligent efforts here I have been told by dozens of clients how this web site is clearly the most comprehensive web site on rain management in the world: with over 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, with many links to a whole separate web page with a gallery of related photos and a more detailed description of that project. They also love how I'm one of the few who list the cost of those projects, so they can do some anonymous price comparison shopping without having to suffer talking to a high-pressure salesman.
I'm happy to do free on-site quotes for local homeowners within 20 miles of our local area, as the CCB requires of all Licensed Contractors, but I have found it works best to develop more of an interactive partnership with my clientele 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 pics through e-mail. I have had to do this with most all my non-local clientele over the last 7 years for the custom copper fabrications I do, since most of them are located back East. I am still a hands-on contractor, so I couldn't possibly drive around town all day filling all the bid requests I get, let alone do the volume of work I could sell, 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. |
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I explain my bid process on my
Latest News
web page 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: 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 |
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Check out these web sites for good honest resources to find
reliable contractors in your area that your neighbors had used
and reviewed:
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"Quality and service is not expensive, it's priceless!" |
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The Kistler House on the Historical Registry |
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Who
is DMR Gutters? 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 500% higher than any 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 couple decades at best (no joke). The reason is because contractors are only required to provide a 1 year warranty on the work they do. After the Homeowner had exhausted their efforts to deal directly with that contactors and then had to resort to filing a complaint with the CCB for resolution; it has to be filed within 1 year of completion or it is an invalid complaint and thrown out. Meaning that Contractor is off the hook. I know I would not want anyone working on my house who only expected their work to last a little over a year. I've worked hard over the last 17+ years to maintain the highest reputation for quality and honest work practice, which is a primary reason I have not been able to grow and take on employees. I'm primarily a Hands-On Contractor who specializes in low-maintenance no-clog gutters at a more reasonable cost than my competition. There are several dozen leaf protection concepts out there, but many of them are more expensive than my copper gutters. I do not understand how a gutter cover could cost more than a gutter? Even if they worked better than they claimed they could not worth that much. I have seen my bids for copper gutters with the No-clog options still be $1k less than LeafGuard's aluminum gutter bid. According to the Homeowner of Tara North my bid for the copper gutters at only $15k was only about half of what a competitor wanted at $29k for less quality than I do. That was the widest spread I've heard of.
Here is one of the custom copper projects I build shown above. This was shipped to Indiana. I also make custom copper roof caps for turrets and gazebos. Most of 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 is 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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Watch out
for Gutter Contractors pushing steel gutters! Why not steel? Depending on how frequently you had your gutters cleaned out 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 those Gutter Contractors 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. There are more details on this issue at the top of my #2 FAQ web page.
Why do I need to worry about these issues? Sadly most businessmen focus more on maximizing their profit margine over client service. They're relying on Homeowners not networking and just rely 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.
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 if you have a life time metal for the gutters it does not makes sense that the other parts will not last. I only work with rust-free sheet-metal, other than the leaf screen for over the gutters. They should be willing to use stainless steel screws (nail-free) for a lasting hold. You will most likely need to test them with a magnet to be sure they are not just regular screws. 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 they are just 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 cheaper materials that will not last 1/3 the time. What about Plastic Gutters? Plastic gutters are even worse than steel for longevity and other issues. 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. I have more on this on my FAQ pages |
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What if I am not local to you? Homeowners:
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 could also 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. |
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Gutter
Contractor Education: |
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For more about my equipment on wheels, click on the photo above |
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Our Personal Ethics I am a small company that has not switched over my licensing to allow for employees. I (David Rich) have done most of the work personally, with my wife Tia's assistance occasionally. We've tried to give several people the opportunity to work on with us, but have yet to meet that special person who can meet my standards. Our reputation for quality work is far too important to let it fall to a greater production volume, so my work tends to be a lot slower than most other gutter contractors. I would like to think I am well worth the wait, but that is certainly your call. It typically takes us 2 weeks to do what other gutter contractors crack out in a single day. I know you only get what you put into any project. I have always focused on quality over profit |
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I stand behind my quality with my extensive installation warranty (see: my Warranty & Service web page for details), along with the manufacturer's 20 year finish and 40 year parts warranty. I give 10 times the minimum labor warranty the Construction Contractors Board requires of all contractors. Along with my Labor warranty, I also can offer a 10 year no-clog warranty for new gutter installations with my low maintenance options package. I would be happy to offer a longer warranty, but I do not expect I will be climbing up 2 story ladders after I am 60 years old. I pride myself on never making unrealistic claims. |
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A
Comparison to Our No-clog
Gutter System
Above left is an actual aluminum LEAFGUARD® gutter cross section profile that I have to show clients the clear difference. The image right shows my more user-friendly hinged copper leaf screen over my copper K-5 gutter for about the same cost as their aluminum gutter.
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Below is a
photo of my |
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I was also a 1997 semi-finalist for this award as well. See my referral web page to see how I managed to be honored with this special award two years in a row. |
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If you are local to the Portland Oregon metro area feel free to E-mail us for a free no-obligation estimate, for the finest in rain management |
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"Quality and service is not expensive, it's priceless!" |
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I do not mean to get political here, but these days it is hard to just ignore
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Top 14 corporations w/documented human rights violations
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I do not mean to get political here,
but
these days it is too hard to just ignore
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Poignant one-liners:
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)
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Warranty & Service |
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Gutters F. A. Q. |
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Parts Shipped |
(top of the page)
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This
web site was originated in 1995
