Compare 4 Copper Gutter Companies in Decatur, GA

The five local historic districts are named Clairemont Avenue Corridor, McDonough-Adams-Kings Highway (usually called MAK), Parkwood, Old Decatur and Ponce de Leon Court. The Historic Preservation Commission reviews exterior work in all five, using the 1997 supplement as its primary basis, with separate guidelines for some districts.

Old Decatur’s guidelines ask that historic gutters be kept up or replaced with materials that look similar and suit the house’s style and period. A 2011 set of design guidelines the city publishes goes further, preferring repair of historic gutters and in-kind replacement once they’re past saving. On a house that already wears copper, both point toward more copper.

The ordinance lets staff approve ordinary repair that keeps the same design, material and appearance, through a Certificate of Exemption decided within five business days. Swapping aluminum for copper, or copper for aluminum, changes the material, and the ordinance never says which review a gutter change needs. Before ordering, call the planner who staffs the Commission at 678-553-6596. The Commission itself meets on the third Tuesday of each month.

City review stops at the city limits. A Decatur postal address doesn’t prove a house is in the city; many sit in unincorporated DeKalb County, outside these districts entirely, and the city notes that almost all homes inside its boundaries use ZIP code 30030. National Register listing, such as the South Candler Street-Agnes Scott College district, doesn’t bring city design review on its own.

Fresh copper shines like a new coin, turns brown as it weathers, and over years may take on a blue-green patina. Exposure sets the pace, so neighboring houses can look different, and the patina is a surface layer rather than a sign of failure. Copper doesn’t rust, and cost guides expect it to last 50 years or more, well past the 20 to 40 they allow for aluminum.

Copper seams are normally soldered into one continuous piece of metal, where aluminum joints usually rely on sealant. A leaking copper joint gets cleaned and soldered again, so ask whether a company does its own soldering. Copper also needs to touch only copper or a compatible metal, because aluminum or plain steel held against it in the wet can corrode. Hangers, straps, fasteners and downspouts should all match.

Half-round copper rides in visible brackets and carries less water than K-style of the same width. One sizing chart rates a 5-inch half-round for up to 2,500 square feet of drainage area, against 5,520 for a 5-inch K-style, so have the company size gutters and downspouts to the roof, not only to the look.

Plan for the runoff as well. Water coming off copper can leave green streaks on pale stone, concrete or paint, so ask where each downspout will empty.