"Has anyone found a good DIY-friendly method for checking gutter slope accurately? I've tried eyeballing it and using a level, but it always feels kinda imprecise..."
Honestly, you're spot on with the gutter thing. Can't tell you how many times I've seen homeowners overlook gutters entirely, only to have them cause way bigger headaches down the road. And yeah, eyeballing gutter slopes is about as precise as guessing your tire pressure by kicking the tire—feels good, but doesn't really help much.
One trick I've used that's pretty DIY-friendly is the old water test. Basically, you grab a garden hose, set it in the gutter at the farthest end from your downspout, and let it run at a moderate flow. Watch carefully where the water pools or slows down—those spots are usually your trouble areas. It's not exactly NASA-level precision, but it's way more reliable than just eyeballing or fiddling with a short bubble level.
Another thing: if you're feeling ambitious (or bored enough), you can stretch a string line from one end of the gutter to the other and measure down from that line at intervals. It takes a bit more setup, but gives you solid numbers to work with. I did this once after a particularly frustrating afternoon of "eyeball engineering," and it was pretty eye-opening how off my initial guesses were.
As for thermal imaging—totally agree it's like having x-ray vision for hidden leaks. Had a client last winter who swore up and down his roof was fine because nothing looked wet inside. Well, we busted out the thermal camera anyway and found moisture creeping under shingles from an ice dam he didn't even know existed. Saved him from major repairs later on.
Bottom line: routine visual checks are great, but sometimes you gotta embrace the tech...or at least some creative DIY methods to keep things dry and drama-free.
The garden hose trick mentioned is pretty solid—I've done that myself a few times. Another quick hack is using a laser level if you can borrow one; makes things easy and feels kinda fancy, too...beats eyeballing by miles.
The laser level idea is pretty clever—wish I'd thought of that when I was doing my gutters last spring. I went old-school with a string line and a carpenter's bubble level, and let me tell you...it worked, but it wasn't exactly fun. Spent half the afternoon climbing up and down the ladder, adjusting things inch by inch. Your laser method sounds way less tedious.
And yeah, eyeballing is a recipe for disaster. Learned that the hard way when I built a garden shed years ago. Thought it looked fine until the roof went on—then suddenly it was obvious the whole thing was leaning slightly left. Had to take half of it apart and redo it properly. Lesson learned: trust tools over eyeballs every time.
Anyway, good luck with your roof situation. Sounds like you're already ahead of the curve with these tips.
"Lesson learned: trust tools over eyeballs every time."
Couldn't agree more—tools save so much hassle. Also worth mentioning, if you're redoing your roof anyway, consider a green roof setup...helps insulation, reduces runoff, and honestly looks amazing once it fills in. Just a thought!
Had a client go the green roof route a couple years back—looked fantastic once it grew in, but heads up, maintenance was more involved than expected. Definitely worth it if you're prepared, just don't underestimate the upkeep...
