How to Convert a Built-In Gutter

Prop up a ladder against the side of the house where the built-in gutters are located. Make sure that both feet of the ladder are planted securely on the ground.

Place a level on the roof above the built-in gutter to determine the slope of the roof. Some built-in gutters rise a little bit above the natural slope of the roof. Remove shingles and tar paper from the roofline using the crowbar. Then remove the plywood so the roof rafters are exposed.

Stand up on the roof and use an X-acto knife to remove 4 inches of shingle and tar paper above the built-in gutter. Do this in a straight line until the roofline ends. Four inches of plywood sheet should now be exposed above the built-in gutter.

Bring up the table saw and adjust the blade so that it only saws through the 4 inches of plywood. Be careful not to cut into the rafters.

Measure the distance from where the plywood ends above the built-in gutter to where the eaves end below the built-in gutter. Measure the distance between the roof joints from the joints’ centerlines. Measure the length of the roofline. Divide the length of the roofline by the length between the roof joints and that is the number of plywood pieces you need.

Mark the measurements on the plywood sheets and use the table saw to cut the appropriate pieces.

Nail the plywood sheets to the roof so that it covers the built-in gutter completely. The plywood sheets should sit flush against the existing plywood.

Cover the plywood with tar paper. Make sure to overlap the existing layer of tar paper to decrease the likelihood of rainwater leakage. Nail tar paper in place using a hammer and roofing nails. Then cut off the excess paper with the X-acto knife.

Install new shingles on the top of the roof where the old shingles end. Tuck the upper portion of the new shingles underneath the preexisting ones and nail them in place. Nail shingles in rows until the entire roof is covered.

Attach hanging gutters at the roof’s edge by nailing them into the fascia, the piece of wood that covers the rafter end of the eaves.

Attach downspouts to complete the hanging gutter system.