In the ongoing struggle to reduce our global footprint, we have been asked to reduce the amount of waste we add to landfills. Hence, the reason we recycle our plastics and glass. Some take it a step further with composting or irrigating their gardens via a water barrel.
Repurpose for the Planet
Then there’s the act of repurposing broken or outdated items. When you look at the non-perishable items you discard, many of these can be repurposed. Some of them go to organizations like the Goodwill or a Habitat ReStore. Others are placed in second-hand or consignment stores.
And those items that don’t seem to find a home? Well, they can be repurposed for other projects at home. Old tools and other hardware work very well as other items. For example, handy and imaginative people have converted old metal shovels and pitchforks into garden chairs or even home décor accessories, via the TV Show, “American Pickers.”
Repurposing Gutters
Even your old gutters can be repurposed. Yes, there’s no need for them to be thrown away when you install a K-Guard leaf-free gutter system. In fact, your traditional gutters are perfect for repurposing.
What’s a gutter anyway? It’s a storage area for collected water. When operational, this water is dispersed into a downspout, with the downspout acting as a means of transportation. Thus, both the gutter and downspout are ripe for reuse.
Interior Use
Think easy-to-install storage and shelves that can be hung or attached to walls. Hobbyists might use them to organize spools of thread or ribbon. Those who like saving space can use the gutters for shoe racks, bookcases, or an around-the-room set of wall shelves. Technology-savvy individuals can repurpose gutters under their computer desks or behind televisions to manage all the cables.
Exterior Use
Gutters are perfect to repurpose for outside garden and landscaping use. For instance, imbed them in the ground and add stones to create edgings. Hang one on the patio as an elevated planter. Compliment that by lining several gutters filled with colorful flowers along the deck railing. They are also perfect planters to grow strawberries.
Downspouts
When not connected to gutters, downspouts are great to use for fun and educational toys. Paint some old downspouts in bright colors, attach them to a fence or wall, and allow the kids to slide different sized balls and marbles down them.
For handy folks, downspouts can be used to store office or art supplies. Cut the repurposed downspout to the right size for your desk. Then, place your pens, brushes, colored pencils, and other materials into each one. You can stack them on top of each other to save more space.
Call K-Guard
If you’re interested in repurposing your old gutters the first thing to do is replace them. You can do this by contacting a specialist at K-Guard for a free consultation and estimate. They’ll gently uninstall the old gutters and make sure to place them somewhere other than the garbage.
