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Installing Gutters and Downspouts
By Mark
J. Donovan
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Not too
long ago I broke down and decided to install gutters and downspouts on one side
of my home. For years I avoided doing this as I was concerned about frequently
cleaning out and unclogging the gutters and downspouts throughout the year, and
dealing with Ice Dams in the winter. I broke down, however, as I was realizing
the water bouncing up off of the deck was beginning to cause damage to the side
of my house.
Installing gutters and downspouts is a simple project that any homeowner can do on a
weekend. Basic PVC, aluminum and galvanized metal gutter material are available
at most hardware stores.
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With a few
basic tools you can install anyone of these types of gutters and downspout
systems in a matter of hours. In my case I used the PVC type as it
required no soldering or cutting/bending of metal.
Tools
required for installing Gutters and Downspouts made from PVC
Ladder,
stainless steel or galvanized nails or screws, chalk line, hammer, screw gun
pencil, and hack saw.
Gutter
and Downspout parts
Measure
the length of the roof and the height of where the downspouts are to be located,
and order 10% in excess of the total length measured. You will need to order the
gutters, down spouts, end caps, downspout brackets and hangers and various
joints to interconnect the pieces together.
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Note that most basic gutter pieces
come in lengths of 10 feet.
Establish
a chalk line on the trim board that sits just under the edge of the shingles.
Note that the gutters should have a pitch downward towards the downspout. The
pitch should drop 1 inch for every 16 feet of gutter. The lowest point of the
gutter is where the down spout should go.
If there
is to be downspouts on either side of the length of gutter, then the middle of
the gutter run should be at the highest point. The ends, where the downspouts
will reside, should be at the lowest point.
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Install
the mounting hangers
Screw or
nail the mounting hangers to the trim board, such that the top of the gutter
will rest in line with the chalk line.
Find a Pre-Screened Gutter Contractor in Your Area
Installing
Gutters
Install
the gutter onto the mounting hangers. The gutter simply clips into the mounting
hangers. Note that with a long gutter run, you may need coupling joints that
marry two lengths of gutter together. Use your hacksaw to cut the gutters to the
appropriate lengths. You will also need to add the end unit connector joints,
with the downspout sleeves and end caps attached. Note that all of these
connector joints have a rubber seal that prevents leaking.
Installing
Downspouts
Measure
the length of downspout necessary to connect from the base of the gutter to the
ground. You will also need to account for a number of 45 and 90 degree angle
connectors to transition the downspout to the edge of the house.
Simply
snap the sections together and attach the downspouts to the house using
downspout brackets and screws/nails.
Attach a
90 degree elbow joint at the end of the down spout to direct the water away from
the home and you are done.
Related Subjects on Gutters
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