It seems to me that one of the most important systems on any building when you live in a rain forest is the rain gutters and downspouts. However, I sometimes think I’m alone in this thought. In my over 25 years of doing building maintenance here in Southeast Alaska I have seldom see gutters, flashing and downspouts done right. In fact I find it is almost the norm to have gutters done in my opinion totally wrong.
All too often I see gutters mounted perfectly level or worse yet slopping away from the downspouts. One commercial building I use to take care of in Ketchikan had 7 long running gutters with each and every one of them sloped the wrong direction. These gutters had been professionally installed, so I had to wonder if the installer didn’t know that water seeks its own level, runs down hill and only in extreme wind will water run uphill. Again this all seems to me to be common sense, but I tell you I have seen too many gutter systems installed backwards to think it is just a fluke. On a brand new building that was built when I worked at Sheldon Jackson College over half the gutters were again installed by pros and ran backwards slopng away from the downspouts.
I have always liked copper gutters over other types of gutter systems, so in spite of the fact they are much more expensive than the alternatives we decided to do the job right. Not only will copper outlast any other gutter, but I think they look better too. 
We purchased copper gutter components for the gutter system except I had to build custom gutters for the prow. I built these with 1X2 copper channel and then soldered on copper brackets to mount the gutters
In this photo if you look close you can see that I sloped the gutters about 2 inches in 26 feet. When installing gutters I always snap a chalk line with the slope that I want I then follow the line when installing the gutters.
Below are 2 photos of the same gutter system on the house next door
I hated picking on the neighbor’s house but here is a classic example of gutters that are sloped the wrong way. Of the 2 gutter systems that we see on their house from our 2nd floor both are sloped the wrong way. Whenever it rains hard more water spills over the side of their gutters than goes down the downspout.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Rain Gutters and Downspouts
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13 comments:
My Dad taught me all about gutters and downspouts, so I know that you are correct and that the other gutter systems have been installed wrong. I had to argue with the person who installed our eavestroughs about 15 years ago. Now we are in need of sofit and facia.
Beautiful photos, as always. I've added you to my blogroll.
Mary,
As always thanks for your kind words. I had almost forgoten that in Canada rain gutters are called eavestroughs. It seems to me that might be a better name anyway. I too have had to replace sofit and facia on other buildings because of improperly installed eavestroughs, and have even seen the rot extend down the walls. Of course here in the Southeast Alaska rain forest with rain measured in feet it is even more important to install gutters right.
Hi-you came up in a google search re: gutters and rain skipping over roof tiles and since you're an expert, I have a question for you. I live in sunny CA (just moved from seattle). No heavy rains usually, but during our last rainstorm (heavy rains hit CA last week), the rain skipped over our tiled roof, over the gutters and cascaded down. Builder said, our home was not built for heavy rain that with rounded tiled roof the force of heavy rain causes the rain to skip over the gutter. Is he correct or is it a construction/design flaw? Our home is less than 3 years old and we have flashing coming down in one area and a downspout that came detached from the gutter. The builder said all the issues are maintenance ones and should be up to the HOA, but I argue that such a young home should not require such maintenance and all these are design and construction flaws. If you have time, let me know what you think. I appreciate your thoughts.
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Hmm, if that’s the case, then you should probably talk to your neighbors about it. You can probably convince them by letting them see how your gutter was installed and how it works. I also agree that copper gutters look more beautiful. It definitely matches the color of your house! How’s it going now? Have you installed a new one after almost 5 years?
i recently had gutters installed by and cannot be happier. They did a beautiful job. They showed up on time. The workers were prompt, courteous and tidy. All that AND the gutters look great. The installation looks top notch and hopefully soon we will get some more rain so we can try these things out!!! The office was professional and were easy to schedule with. They also honored the original price quoted with no surprises. Very professional polite and efficient.
I would use Kirkland Gutter Company again if the need arises.
I’m late to find this post but wow, this should be great. May not get any better…
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Those copper gutters do look great, but i'm just wondering will they develop green spots and patches over time? or can a treatment be put on to prevent this? I do sometimes like that worn copper look, but as a gutter sales person I'm not sure I'd advise it for my customers if such problems can occur.
I am thankful to you because your article is very helpful for me to carry on with my research in same area. Your quoted examples are very much relevant to my research field.
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The part on the benefits of green architecture piqued my interest. Do you have any concrete examples or case studies to demonstrate these advantages? Gutter Contractor in Dallas
Your writing style is so interesting that it seemed more like talking to a knowledgeable friend than reading a technical book. The way you explained the need for appropriate installation and maintenance was quite useful, especially for someone like myself who isn't a DIY expert. Now I'm driven to check my Plano Gutter Installation regularly, which I used to hate but now regard as essential.
Great post about rain gutters and downspouts. Check out www.fazeconstruction.com for more information pertaining to rain gutters and downspouts.
I found your blog post on Plano Gutter Installation and downspouts very informative! It's clear and practical, providing useful tips that are easy to implement. Understanding the importance of proper drainage is crucial for maintaining the integrity of our homes. Thanks for sharing these insights!
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