Gutter Installation - Step by Step Guide

All you need to know about gutter installation. Gutters protect the house from the damaging effects of rainwater, which includes flooding inside the house, as well as actual damage to the wood and the house design. Because of the important role that gutters play, every new homeowner should put much thought and investment into gutter installation.

Before installing a gutter, you need to make sure that you have all the right parts and tools for the job. First on the list is the guttering itself, which can either be aluminum, galvanized, vinyl, plastic, and comes in different styles and sizes. There is also the downspout, which is that part that attaches to the gutter and designed to channel water away from the roof and down to the drainage. Other parts that you will need are the elbow, which re-angles the direction of the downspout; mitre, which changes the direction of how the gutter runs; the end cap, which keeps the gutter from running; the spike and ferrule, which holds keeps the gutter in place on the eave of the roof; the strap and gutter leaf guard; and the splash block.

Now that you know all the parts already, how do you begin to install your new gutter? Simply follow this eight-step guide to gutter installation.

Plot the run of your gutter around the house. It’s one thing to know the parts that constitute a gutter system, but it’s another thing to go out and buy them. For the latter, you need to have a map of your house on which you can plot how you want your gutter to run. Find out how long your gutter run should be by taking measurements, how many downspouts you should install, and the length of the downspouts from the guttering down to the drain. Note down the figures as you measure, and take these, as well as the list of parts to your home improvement or hardware store.

Make preliminary installation marks. Gutters should logically be inclining a little towards the downspout, so make the necessary marks on where you plan to install the gutters. Make sure to have the high point at an inch away from the top of the fascia. The ideal slope should run at a quarter of an inch every 10 feet or so.

Put the downspouts in place. Use deck screws to fix your downspout outlets into place. They should be close to, although not right at the end of, the gutter run since the roof stretches out over the house. Make sure that they are secured in place.

Attach the gutter hangers onto the fascia. Ideally, you should have a gutter hanger ever two feet or so, attached to the fascia with deck screws and fixed in place at about an inch from the roof edges. The hangers should be attached securely as they will provide support to the guttering. Also make sure to leave some space at the ends to accommodate the gutter caps. Keep to the right angles by following your pre-installation markings.

Make sure all corners are covered, particularly those that are not fitted with a downspout and not where the gutter run ends. Gutter covers are designed to protect corners from leaking rain water, preventing damage to the gutter and to the house itself.

Cut the guttering into your desired lengths. You can do this by using a hacksaw. Cut the entire length into sections according to the length from the end of the roof up to the downspout. Place the gutter cap on one end, fix the cut gutter into the downspout outlet, and position it onto the gutter hangers. Again, be guided by the pre-installation markings.

Complete the gutter system. Work from the ground up to put your gutter sections from end to end using the right connectors from your collection of parts and fittings. This is probably the easiest part, especially when you have someone helping you hold the gutters as you position them on the hangers.

Finally, the point of installing a gutter system is to drive rain water away from the roof and the house. And so the task of a gutter system is not complete without drain pipes. Measure the distance between the downspout elbow joint on one outlet and the elbow joint on the wall. Cut a piece of drainpipe in this length. Fit the elbows on either end of the pipe, and place it onto the outlet, also making sure to secure the other elbow onto the house wall with a hanger. Take your drainpipe again and cut a section as long as the distance between the wall elbow and one foot from the ground. Attach another hanger onto the wall close to the ground to hold the drainpipe and set the cut drainpipe there. Then fix another elbow joint into the end of the drain. Cap this off with a piece of drainpipe pointing away from the house.