Removing gutter from the clips.

[scooby1]

I have searched the Forum for an answer to this but can't find what I'm looking for. Can someone please tell me what the secret is for removing a plastic gutter from it's plastic clips ? I am painting the facia and although the sun has been on the clips all day I am still breaking them.

Current thinking is a gas blowtorch and warm the outside tang up a bit to make it a bit more maleable. Will that do the job ?

Thanks for any answers.

 

[Nige F]

I`m afraid that if they are breaking - they`ll mostly break . The plastic has become brittle over time . You could post a pic, they might get identified and you could get some replacements

 

[EddieM]

I have searched the Forum for an answer to this but can't find what I'm looking for. Can someone please tell me what the secret is for removing a plastic gutter from it's plastic clips ? I am painting the facia and although the sun has been on the clips all day I am still breaking them.

Current thinking is a gas blowtorch and warm the outside tang up a bit to make it a bit more maleable. Will that do the job ?

Thanks for any answers.

Brute force and copious amounts of swearing I find helps.

 

[scooby1]

Thanks to both of you. Actually I am going to put new guttering up so not bothered about trying to preserve it but at the moment I am wanting to take the guttering off temporarily so that I can paint the facias and then when I get more time I will replace the guttering.

In other words I want to take them off, paint the facias, and pop them back on again because one of these days it's going to rain again and Sod's Law states that if the gutters aren't on it will pour down.

I am going to get one of those gas blow torch jobbies and see if I can warm them up a bit and see if that helps. Will probably end up with a plastic glutinous mess blocking the gulleys if the rest of my DIY efforts are anything to go by !

 

[EddieM]

Thanks to both of you. Actually I am going to put new guttering up so not bothered about trying to preserve it but at the moment I am wanting to take the guttering off temporarily so that I can paint the facias and then when I get more time I will replace the guttering.

In other words I want to take them off, paint the facias, and pop them back on again because one of these days it's going to rain again and Sod's Law states that if the gutters aren't on it will pour down.

I am going to get one of those gas blow torch jobbies and see if I can warm them up a bit and see if that helps. Will probably end up with a plastic glutinous mess blocking the gulleys if the rest of my DIY efforts are anything to go by !

Maybe best to get new ones, but don't use a blow torch, that's not gonna work well.. try putting them in some just boiled (but not still boiling water) water. They are a PITA those guttering clips

 

[scooby1]

Thanks Eddie. I just discovered that the Head Gardener has one of those blow torch jobbies in her kitchen, a small one. I think she uses it to burn the tops of things that she has cooked - haven't got a clue really so going to borrow that and see what happens. I'll report back if I don't end up in hospital.

 

[terrypin]

There's only one way to do it and that has already been mentioned.

Buy your new gutter now, smash the old gutter off, paint and then fit new.

Trying to get them off in one piece is futile, time consuming and a total wasted effort. Even if you get some off in one piece you won't have enough left to make the gutter effective and leak free.

Btw, are you insured to use heat/naked flame?
Bin the blow torch idea.

 

[scooby1]

Btw, are you insured to use heat/naked flame?
Bin the blow torch idea.

We are a farm. Comprehensive workshop with oxy-acetylene, two propane space heaters, also grain driers using propane so yes, we've got a bit of insurance around us.

Thanks for your concern anyway.

 

[scooby1]

All done. Found a small EN417 gas blowtorch in the workshop and warmed the outside tang of the gutter clip. Came off really easily and when the tangs cooled down again they snapped back on just as they did 28 years ago.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[kbdiy]

Glad it worked out ok but using a naked flame anywhere near a roof is risky in the extreme. The wood and detritus that collects around the eaves is just waiting for a source of ignition to set light to the roof. Have seen it happen so glad you got away with it.

Not to be recommended.

 

[scooby1]

Glad it worked out ok but using a naked flame anywhere near a roof is risky in the extreme. The wood and detritus that collects around the eaves is just waiting for a source of ignition to set light to the roof. Have seen it happen so glad you got away with it.

Not to be recommended.

Thank you. I was aware of the danger, I have had that happen to me before. But this wasn't on a house and in any case I only warmed the outside tang of the clip with the little blowtorch set with a very low flame. Too much and you soon start to melt the plastic.

 

[MGC4]

Just having the same problem, found that an old school bottle/can opener plus a medium flat blade screwdriver worked quite well

 

[opps]

Never thought of using a bottle opener. For awkward ones, I use slip jaw pliers.