[MassHistPres] Historic wood gutter maintenance

[Pleun Bouricius]

Hi Alex:

The most important maintenance is keeping the gutters clean. After that comes the annual treatment.

You are correct, you will want to penetrate the wood. And linseed oil is good. Linseed oil is, however, also good food for microorganisms.

We installed and maintained wood gutters until about 2006. We used 2:1  linseed oil/paint thinner or turpentine. The solvent helps penetrate the wood and is antifungal. Of the two, turpentine is the more effective antifungal. 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026265X19324506

You can also buy fungicide for paint and add that to the mix. They have it at HD.hardware store.. However, it is tough to mix in and tends to be a wee whitish. 

Good luck.

> On Jun 12, 2021, at 5:14 PM, Alex Becker <jabecker at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Dear List,
> 
> Any recommendations regarding maintanence of wood gutters, particularly yearly treatment with linseed oil (or something else)?  Results of googling are contradictory: some recommend boiled linseed oil, some not boiled, or pre-packaged treatments for decks and outdoor wood furniture, or some type of sealant.  Allowing moisture to escape seems desirable, so maybe a sealant wouldn’t be the best option.
> 
> More generally: does anyone know of a contractor in the area (eastern Mass) who specializes in wood gutters and their maintenance?
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> Alex Becker
> Reading, MA
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Pleun Clara Bouricius, PhD
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