If you’re like most homeowners, you probably haven’t put a lot of thought into your home’s gutters.
They generally aren’t admired by your neighbors while sitting out by the pool, like a fence might be, or like when you’re enjoying a cold drink in the driveway while basking in the glory of your perfectly manicured and green lawn.
But, those gutters might just be more important to your home than any of those other aesthetic changes you can make to the outside of it.
At Taylor Gardner Gutters, there is nothing more important, or serious, than making sure homes are equipped with the best gutters possible, because without them, the foundation of your house is susceptible to water damage that can create big problems down the road.
“I tell customers that gutters are the least expensive thing you can do to your home to improve the quality of the look of the home and quality of the life of your home without spending a fortune,” says Taylor Gardner, the owner of Taylor Gardner Gutters since taking over from his father Ed in 2019. “A fence can be five grand easy, and new floors can cost you $5,000-$10,000. But, new gutters? The average is $1,500-$2,000, tops.”
Why are gutters, which Taylor Gardner Gutters can customize, install and repair, so important? Well, Taylor says there are many reasons, but one of the most important ones is that they take the downpour from those heavy Florida rainstorms and redirects the water away from your house.
Without gutters, the chance of water creating a river between you and your neighbor and settling at the base of your home’s foundation are much greater. When saturation occurs, the water gets under the house, and can cause the wood or laminate floors in your house to pop, or pucker up.
The water also can bring erosion to the side of your home, which can cause cracks in the stucco and window ledges, and form unsightly trenches.
“Gutters will protect the integrity of your foundation, and that’s the important thing,” Taylor says.
Sarah DiMonarco, a Tampa-based Realtor, was referred to Taylor Gardner Gutters by a friend and hired Taylor and his crew for a house she was flipping.
Sarah was so impressed with the work and the price that she recommended the company to her friends and clients, and even her roofer.
When she had her gutters installed, the crew rerouted her downflow.
“I asked why they were doing that, and they said it was because the water was washing dirt out to my driveway,” Sarah says. “They made sure it was redirected where it should be going. I’ve been very happy, and the price was right.”.
At Taylor Gardner Gutters, Taylor and his five crews take the job seriously and set out to prove that not all gutter companies are created equal.
The company offers a thicker gauge aluminum than many of its competitors, which prevents the gutters from ever buckling under the weight of the water.
Taylor’s crews use rivets instead of screws. Unlike screws, rivets are made of aluminum and won’t rust.
“Most of our competitors use screws,” Taylor says, “and unless they are zinc-coated screws, they will rust. But, zinc-coated screws are more expensive than rivets, so no one does that.”
Rivets also are a stronger way to hold things together, and Taylor says he tells his customers to consider how airplanes are constructed. “They are riveted together,” he says, “and there’s a reason for that.”
However, what may separate Taylor’s company from its competition more than anything is the warranty. He says he offers a lifetime no-leak — and no questions asked if it ever does leak — warranty. Taylor says he is unaware of any other gutter company that offers a lifetime warranty.
And, for the best results, Taylor recommends an aluminum, seamless gutter system. While he says a handyman may be able to throw gutters on your house, they are probably using vinyl gutters purchased from a big box store.
“I never paid a lot of attention to gutters, but they are kind of like crown moulding,” Sarah says. “They really do enhance the look of the home.”
A Legacy Of Honesty
Taylor learned the gutter business from his father Ed, who started Gardner Gutters back in 2000 but passed away following a long battle with cancer in 2020. Ed was highly regarded for running his business with honesty and dignity, and Taylor says the business he now runs strives to continue much of what his father taught him.
Taylor, who did a tour of Iraq while in the Marines for nine years and earned a Business Administration (B.A.) degree from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, afterwards, took over completely in 2020 after Ed passed away. Gardner Gutters was rebranded that year as Taylor Gardner Gutters.
He says the business was flagging at the time, but now is booming. Taylor opened a new office in Land O’Lakes, added more crews with new equipment and trailers, and has pivoted to working with builders on new construction, especially in the busy Wesley Chapel area, to help the company grow.
Taylor says the fact that his company is trusted by big builders like GL Homes and David Weekley Homes, suggests that Taylor Gardner Gutters does exceptional work using the best quality materials. It also offers free estimates.
And following in Ed’s footsteps, Taylor is hoping to build a following by sending out salespeople who are there to build relationships and explain the need for gutters, not just sell them. In many of New Tampa’s communities and some of the older ones in Wesley Chapel, most homes built 20 years or more ago or so were built without gutters, but many have added them because, well, it’s just smart.
“I don’t hire a salesperson to be a salesperson, I hire them to be an educator,” Taylor says. “They have to understand (our business) to be able to explain it to the customer, and not just give a sales pitch.”
So, if a customer is complaining about a flower bed against the side of the house flooding or cracks on the outside of the house, the company offers solutions.
“If necessary, we’ll tell them you need gutters or you are going to have a serious problem,” Taylor says. “That’s not a sales pitch, it’s just the honest truth.”
In addition to custom gutter installations and repairs, Taylor Gardner Gutters, which is proud to be veteran-owned-and-operated, also provides screen room installations and window replacements.
Taylor Gardner Gutters is located at 6202 Land O’Lakes Blvd. in Land O’Lakes. The store hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit TaylorGardnerGutters.com or call (813) 515-0844.
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