Box gutters. Ugh.

[Ben Skove]

Box gutters...they're a lovely, historic element. They're architecturally distinct. The gutters themselves rarely clog.

But I hate 'em. I hate seeing them on a potential rehab. I know that almost inevitably they are going to need to be relined or rebuilt, and that it'll cost many thousands of dollars, turning a possible rehab into a pass.

However, looking at a house where everything else seems to fall into place, I wonder if anyone's had success with alternate, though less long-lasting, repairs. I've seen people do various types of rubber coatings, and even truck bed liner material, but have had the impression that these are temporary measures to buy a year or two before more definitive action is taken.

Has anyone found a cheaper but not shoddy way of repairing box gutters?