Gutters in Haysville, KS

About Haysville

Haysville sits just south of Wichita and had 11,262 residents and about 4,371 housing units in the 2020 census. W. W. Hays came to the area in the early 1870s and platted land for a town in 1891. A grist mill was built on the bank of Cowskin Creek in 1874, and the creek still runs through the area.

The 1999 tornado and the gutters that followed

On May 3, 1999, an F4 tornado struck Haysville, killing several people, destroying the historic district and damaging or destroying many homes before continuing into south Wichita. The National Weather Service's Wichita office has documented the storm in detail. In the rebuilding that followed, many homes got new roofs, siding and gutters within a short span.

That means a large share of Haysville's gutters are now in their mid-20s or older. Published guides commonly put aluminum gutters at about 20 to 30 years with good maintenance. Signs that rebuild-era gutters are nearing the end include:

• Seams and corners that drip even after resealing.
• Faded, chalky finishes and paint peeling from the gutter face.
• Sagging sections where hangers have loosened.
• Standing water in the trough because sections have shifted out of pitch.
• Dents from years of hail that make water pool or overflow.

Older ranches

Homes that survived the tornado, and older ranches on the edges of town, may have gutters even older than the rebuild era. These are more likely to be sectional, with spike-and-ferrule hangers and downspouts that dump at the foundation. Replacement is often the practical choice once leaks are widespread.

Cowskin Creek and drainage

Areas near Cowskin Creek and its drainage channels can be flat and slow to drain. Water that leaves a downspout needs a clear path away from the house. The EPA suggests directing downspouts toward lawns or planted areas rather than driveways, and building codes call for moving roof water at least 5 feet from foundations where expansive soils exist. Longer extensions or buried lines to a lower point help on flat lots.

Storm readiness

Haysville sees the same spring storms as the rest of the Wichita area: hail, strong winds and downpours. Gutters cannot make a house storm-proof, but well-fastened gutters with sturdy hangers are less likely to become loose, flapping metal in high winds. After a hailstorm, check your gutters and downspouts for dents and photograph them before any repair.

Cleaning schedule

Trees planted after 1999 are now mature in many neighborhoods, which means more leaves and seeds in the gutters than there were 20 years ago. Twice-a-year cleaning is a good baseline for homes with mature trees nearby.

Describe your house and gutters and we'll call you back. See the gutter cost guide for published national ranges.

Replacing gutters on a rebuild-era home

If you decide it is time to replace the gutters on a home rebuilt after 1999, a few upgrades are worth discussing. Seamless gutters reduce leaky joints, hidden hangers hold better than spikes, and 3x4 downspouts carry more water than the 2x3 size common on older homes. It is also a good time to rethink downspout locations that have always caused puddles or soggy flower beds.

Check the fascia while the old gutters are off. Boards that have been behind leaky seams for 25 years may need sections replaced, and fixing them now avoids taking new gutters down later.

Homeowners on the south and west edges of Haysville, closer to open farmland, may also see more wind-blown debris and dust in their gutters than those in the center of town.

Haysville gutter services

• Gutter Installation
• Gutter Cleaning
• Gutter Repair
• Seamless Gutters
• Gutter Guards & Covers
• Gutter Replacement
• Hail-Damaged Gutters
• Cost guide

Sources for Haysville facts: Wikipedia: Haysville, Kansas; NWS Wichita, May 3, 1999 Haysville tornado; Wikipedia: Wichita, Kansas (climate); ICC, 2018 International Residential Code, Section R801.3 roof drainage; EPA Soak Up the Rain, disconnect and redirect downspouts.