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Andy,
Herein E.Tex.we mostly use 5″seamless guttering.Typical downspouts are 2×3 or3x5,fastened to frame houses by galvanized screws.On brick we use plastic concrete anchors with strapping across downspout.
phil
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Andy,
Herein E.Tex.we mostly use 5"seamless guttering.Typical downspouts are 2x3 or3x5,fastened to frame houses by galvanized screws.On brick we use plastic concrete anchors with strapping across downspout.
phil
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Here in California where we get all of our rain in about 90 days (15-20") gutters are essental.
Most homeowners like the extruded aluminum type, because they are cheap. The problems with them are that they are cheap and last only 7 years or so; they look like hell, and dent and ding easily. Finally because they are attached to a facia with gutter spikes, water can back up the roof.
We prefer 26 guage sheet metal in half round with a built in flange that attaches directly to the roof decking with No. 8 galv. nails.
We then apply a ruberized sheet sealant such as "Stick and Peal" over the flange for about 12" up the roof.
The downspouts are generally 2x4.
Hope this helps.
*My opinion, best gutters are NO gutters. The first thing I did when I bought my house a year ago was tear the flimsy things off.Here in New England all they do is continually clog and spill over anyways. Virtually all new construction is without gutters, my experience.Henri
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I agree with Henri! It was either the trees or gutters, so off went the gutters. In their place went drainage pipes around the perimeter of the house.
*Dear Andrew,MR. TECHNICAL would like to reply:Amen to the above posts. Less is more. Gutters cost money, are ugly, as a whole, clog up, and dent just looking at them. Down South, even around NewPort News, Va., a lot have been left off. Of course, sandy soil and no basement helps.5" OG,(K style)and spikes are de rigeur here in Md. and Va. The BEST system, in my experience, is make sure you get real .032" gutters, deck mtd., wrap around hangers every 16" or so and "Waterfall" gutter guards. (They really do work.) These 2 accessories add a great amount of strength/rigidity to a flimsy gutter. 2 3/4-3" downspouts are also std.I used to do commercial work, and on large roof areas, I absolutely sized the gutters by chart in Arch. Graphic Standards. It is invaluable to control run off. More builders and designers should pay closer attention to roof area and gutter size. If you have a basement or a soil/grading situation where you have to have them, the above system is recommended.(Wire and other similar type of guards are a waste of money.)I will not go into the area of ice dams and gutters. I will let sleeping dogs lie.
*Ground level control is the only way to go.Gutters are rediculous...size them at zero.J
*I am bothered by the fact that most new construction uses gutters with built in flanges. Works great till it rains!The roofline doesn't slope, so how do you get the gutters to drain? What is the "manufacturers recommended method" for installing these?Invariably, just the debris from a new roof will collect and form a "sludge" with standing water for months.Looking forward to your article. And please, nothing about the 1/8 inch hand hammered, lacquered copper gutters lovingly fastened with antique hardware. I'd venture that there are 2 or 3 of those done a year in the USA. (Just jealous)
*You guys obviously don't live in Seattle! I am extremely thankful that I have gutters and a roof drainage system that vectors the runoff about 100 feet to a nearby wetland. I've witnessed nearly 40" of rain this winter here in the PacNorWest, an enormous amount of water that I'd prefer to keep away from my foundation. The first 5 years I lived in my new home, I had traditional 5" aluminum open-top gutters. With 150' tall douglass fir swaying in the stiff winter breezes next to the house, my gutters used to be perpetually clogged with pine cones and small branches, resulting in solid streams of water running down my cedar siding. Tired of climbing a 24' ladder every couple months to clean them out, I replaced the entire system with the LeafGuard gutter system. It's a larger, covered gutter with larger downspouts, too. The company guarantees I'll never have to clean out my gutters again for the next 10 years -- THEY will do it! I've had the new system two years now and it's working like a charm. Just small pine needles and grains of asphalt from the comp roof have intruded into the gutter, eventually to be washed away by a heavy rain . I'm building a new home this summer and plan to use LeafGuard gutters again! Look them up on the web if you're interested.
*Thanks for your responses. They've led me to a few more questions. Bob Martin, what width half round gutter do you prefer? Does that vary with the roof to be drained? Adam S., don't worry, I'm excluding gilded gutters. I'm not sure what you mean, though, when you talk about flanges. Could you be more descriptive?No-gutter guys, what ground level provisions do you make? What about splash back onto the siding? Are your foundations dry?Keep the comments coming. Andy
*Siding is kept 18" from ground.perimeter just below surface drain pipe with decorative stone to surface. Done.J
*Do gutters with built-in flanges need to go on before the roof material, and if so don't they can get bent and dinged up by the roofers? Why not just use a strip of sheet metal as a drip edge applied separately, with a 1 in overlap over the gutter? It seems more flexible for future repairs.
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Andy, I removed my son's standard galvanized gutters (5") and replaced them with the "lego-type" vinyl from Home Depot. They are slightly smaller but I don't think that's such a disadvantage here on the coast of Calif where our average rainfall is about 12" per year. They look much better, require no maintenance and I like the way you can direct the run-off spout in any direction since the spout is square. The one annoyance is that the 45 degree attachments can't stand much lateral force before coming apart. I've using white duct tape in a few places but could have also used glue.Manufacturer needs to redesign for this problem. I'm considering Rainhandlers for
the garage area to get spread over the lawn. Some responses on this bulletin board months ago were negative on the Handlers. Please comment.
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Ray, I don't know much about Rain Handlers. My thoughts are that they'll probably avoid the below-eave drip gulley, but they still deposit the water close to the foundation for my taste. See Adirondak Jack above for a way to handle that problem.
Andy
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Gutters or not, properly grading the soil is the most effective way to keep the foundation dry. Splash back can be a problem, gravel/stone chips are common and work okay, but it does tend to rut out and wash away in heavy rains. Small hedges planted around the perimeter can be effective as well.
henri
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Gravel washes out!@,,,Must be another one of those "regional" things....Why do people live in all these snake infested huricane, wind, and quake zones????
J
*and tornado zones! don't forget tornado zones...the entire central U.S. Because I was born and raised here, family, friends, etc., etc.Rich Beckman
*I too am interested in gutters. Come Spring I have a remodel that will need them. But if there is a better way, I'm game. Question: If there are no gutters how do you handle roof water runoff from melting snow or extended rain over doors and deck access? This particular remodel has a cedar shake roof(I know, but it is there and must be dealt with and can't be replaced).
*Here on the southwest coast of British Columbia Where we get 5 to 6 feet of rain per year (at least I don't have to shovel it!!), gutters are a necessary evil. The standard in my area is 5" seamless gutters and 2" by 3" downspouts. We don't need anything larger because all of that rain comes in a constant annoying drizzle over a 10 month period. The problem is how to deal with all that water once it hits the ground. Before or during backfill solid 4" pvc drain pipe is laid around the perimeter of the building with tees and extensions at each downspout location. The water is then either run into storm sewers, to daylight on sloping lots or drywells on the few flat lots that exist. Yes, this is in addition to conventional perimeter drainage.
*They use 5" k here in MI, occasionally a 6" if it is draining a large area. Gutters tend to help create ice dams. That brings up a quick story.The superintendent comes up and asks me, "How do you keep your overhangs from falling off?" I tell him "I nail them". It turns out that the other crew, keeps having to go back to houses that the overhang, and the gutter is falling off!` The ice is creating a weight problem and the other carpenters cornice sytem is inadequate!Sub-fascias help, but only if they are attached to something, like the rafters! Duh!Blue
*Only gutter system that I've seen and used that I would use one my house (project 86 out of 146 on the list) is Alcoa's system. Install their roof apron at fascia line.Rear of edge gutter snaps into this apron. The gutter (5"or6") is supported it's entire length yet is free to expand and contract. The front of the gutter is supported by a hanger strap that gets nailed into the top of every other rafter. A great system, no gutter spikes,hope they still make it when I do get around to doing mine over. Haven't seen it used in a while.
*If there is anything less glamorous than hanging gutter it must be writing a magazine article about gutters, Andy.And you don't even get to enjoy the fun of cutting your hands on sheet metal,covering your new t-shirt with gutter sealant and the always enjoyable chance to fall off the ladder.Seamless aluminum 5" is kind of the drywall of its class.there are other materials available but not really as cost effective.Low cost and wide assortment of available colors makes it hard to beat.I am surprized that nobody mentioned the ODE' style hidden hanger.I started using these a few years ago and I doubt I have bought a spike or ferrule since.Installation is faster than S&F and properly done it is way more secure plus the fasteners are completely invisible from below since the fastener mounts inside the gutter. Also the whiners complaining about how easy gutters are to dent should try to use the proper amount of fasteners for good support instead of just banging in a spike every 3-4 feet. That little tip in combination with a stand-off or at least a gutter board will take care of their problems. Good Luck, Stephen P.S. I got a big laugh out of the guy who installed the vinyl snap together "lego" type gutters and then sealed the joints with duct tape. He should go into stand-up comedy cause he had me rolling on the floor.
*from a no-gutter guy: the ground slopes away from the house, there is a trench dug directly underneath the dripline with 6" drain pipe leading out to the backyard where I've a covered sump barrel. After heavy rains the barrel is pumped out to my neighbors property (just kidding), the street, but otherwise is left to be pumped to the garden days later after the ground has dried out. I've a dripcap on the bottom of the siding, 5" trimboard under that and 16" of block between that and the ground, rock over the drain: no splash problem. A similar solution was done by Frank Lloyd Wright on one of his houses.
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Fred B:
There are two ways to deal with lotsa water comming off a pitch: (1) Gutters; or (2) Hardscape.
Hardscape as architects call it, is generally a cement pad poured along the footprint of the house over a 3-5' width. The pad is sometimes just sloped, but the better designed ones I have seen are sloped with a level area on the outside where 4" ABS Drains are located every 10' or so. The ABS drains lead into a French Drain system, consisting of compacted soil, 10 mil plastic, gravel, pea gravel, the ABS soil pipe (with holes drilled into it laterally), then more gravel, then more pea gravel, then sometimes a fiber mat or paper to keep the silt away, then topsoil to grade.
There is always a big debate on whether to install the ABS drain pipe with the holes up or down. I have heard many explanations from qualified personel who have different opinions.
The ABS drain leads to either the street or just angles away to a termination point 50-75 feet away. Sometimes I see them terminate into a large pit filled with rock or a commercial sistern.
There are many variations to this system, depending on how much water you get at one time. The idea is always to catch the water, and divert it to a safe location away from the foundation.
There was a very interesting post a couple months ago about a guy who really studied french drains, and apparently if one digs a trench, and then simply re-fills it with the same dirt, it will act as a drain, catch and divert water for about 10 years, until the soil becomes packed.
In answer to the poster's question about built in flanges and why they are still used, I prefer them. You intall them to the roof which yes, slants! Rafters terminate at the top plate, and rafter tails are sistered into them. The tails are pitched from side to side. In other words, assuming you want to pitch from left to right, the left rater tails will be higher then than the right ones. I like about 1-2 degree pitch. I use a string line, and a Construction Master IV to calculate the elevation. Then when you install the gutters, they will automatically be perfect. The flanges (wider the better) protect the decking material in case of water back up and freezing.
Don't forget the rubber sealant!
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RJT, Wasn't Frank Loyd Wright the guy who designed leaky flat roofs for most of his projects and then refused to stand behind them?If it was me, I would look for a better authority than Wright to handle rain water drainage since he was essentialy a first rate interior designer with a even better P.R. agent. Good Luck, Stephen
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I'd like to hear more about what blue brought up: ice dams. I want to put gutters on my house, but I'm afraid they'll be ruined by ice come next winter. Should I deal with the annoyance of not having these gutters while I deal with fixing the ice dam prone roof, or are they gonna be OK to put them on beforehand? As is, the roof is next winter's project. Thanks for the info.
Britt
*Fred I just did a gutter job on a house with cedar shakes---it was copied after turn of the century colonial. The owner wanted a gutter that was invisable, so I made a gutter out of cedar 1x6 to follow the facia line,then I lined the box with scrap cdx to create the slope then I lined the cedar box with coil stock properly sealed with gutter sealant. A perfect 6x6 gutter with enclosed downspouts 5x5 run right down the corner posts. Perfectly invisable. The homeowner loves them which is what this job is all about.
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Good point, I was only trying to pass the credit to someone else. Frank also designed plumbing systems that were unrepairable due to their idiosyncrasies and designed chairs that must have made chiropractors a lot of money.
*Before we reach the digressive point of no return, Andy, you may be interested in the gutter guard info at http://www.b4ubuild.com/special/gutters/gutrgrd1.shtml.
*Andrew, thanks. I'll check it out. Thanks to all who have responded so far. I'm consistently impressed with how rich a source of information this forum is.Andy
*Thanks for the discussion. It is nice to have one's biases confirmed as being reality.If there is a door under an eave the best way to handle the situation is with a structurally appropriate gutter and downspout. The only question is esthetic. Gutters can be used elsewhere as desired but the primary means of protecting the structure is surface grading and subsurface plumbing.Andy, the posters have built a good skeleton, I look forward to the flesh you grow on it.
*Jack and the rest of the no-gutter guys, I'm thinking about including a section about ground drainage, and I'd like to get more details. Specifically, how wide an area do you fill with gravel? How deep? Favorite pipe? Filter fabric?Hope the skiing was good, Jack.Andy Engel
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Andy,
I'm currently replacing the gutters on my c.1914 great big bungalow. The home originally had 1x8 fascia with 4" ogee trim at the drip edge. Years of neglect by the previous owners and harsh freeze thaw cycles have left much of the trim rotted or missing. I'm doing a bit of updating to the whole house and have opted for commercial gutters for steel buildings. The gutters are roughly 8" tall x 5" wide at the top & 3" wide at the bottom (they taper to the bottom). I'm removing the ogee, replacing the fascia that needs it and installing the gutter as an exposed, pre-finished fascia/gutter system. The eaves are all at least eleven feet above grade, and though the gutters are massive, they look very appropriate and to scale. The are pre-finished and come in stock lengths (Manufactured by Klauer). They are also much more stout than typical seemless or pre-fab gutters. Used in conjunction with a metal drip/gutter edge I expect them to alleviate many ice related problems and provide an attractive gutter for a very long time.
Another trick I've picked up from commercial membrane roof jobs is to fully line the gutter with an adhered membrane that starts under the shingles. This keeps water off the inside metal surfaces and prevents seeping between the drip edge and gutter when it's iced over. I'll let you know in twenty years how it's holding up!
Looking forward to your article.
*Will you send us a free copy of article if we give you info ? :-)1. The ice damming problem is no laughing matterin snow country where most roofs/attics are notadequately insulated (snow melts from escaping interior heat). Gutters fill with snow and catch melt-off which turns to ice. As the ice builds, it dams the melt-off which runs back upand under the shingles, and follows the path ofof least resistence into wall cavities,along rafters and beams, window and door headers;etc. Anyting that stops melt-off from runningover the edge will set up the conditions forice dams -- that means gutters are a problem.2. Drain tile collapse and in-fill make running gutter downspouts into the ground a problem as well. Concentrating roof run-off and funnelling it into a few centralized locations that drain downand around a foundation is a most redliculous prospect - think about it.3. Draining run-off down-spouts to surface or just-below grade tile at some distance from thebuilding is a better way to disperse and diffuse the problem of centralization and footer drain tile.4. Basements and slab edges are water dams andthey will capture and divert downspout water taken to the up hill side of a building. I don't know how many thousands of $'s I have helpedhomeowners save by recommending/installinga surface or just below grade drain tile (and disconnecting footer level downspout pipe)to divert water around the uphill side of a housewhen no one can figure out why a new basement isgetting footer level water problems. Most contractors want to dig up the foundation,replace the tile, waterproof the concrete andimprove the back fill. 5. One last problem of concentrating down spoutrun-off is that is can cause surface bubbles on a lawn and create under lawn water channels.Surface and just below grade drain out points should have buffers to reduce the velocity and volume of water.Too many people pass the problem on to theri neighbours by running the drain outs to theproperty line.In big cities, sending roof runoff anywhere butto your lawn is waste of good clean water. Thereis so little ground and lawn exposed that the city water tables are dry from draining run-offionto storm sewers.
*
Interesting thread. I dislike gutters and would recommend designs that did not require them but my village ordinaces do require them. Its an old house - 1904 - and half round seemed to be the right look. From magazine adds, I decided on the Plastmo 5" half round. Lots of neighbors commented on the good looks; I'm impressed by how strong they are like when I lean a 36 foot ladder against them; how easy to clean because of open tops; relatively easy to install; and they remain removable and reinstallable to a degeree - which is nice if you like to paint behind them, etc. Generally very pleased with the performance and appearance.
*When I bought my first house in 1973 (Fayetteville, NC -- guess what I was doing at the time), it was brand new and had no gutters on it. When I asked the builder about this, he told me that VA/FHA home loan program inspection standards prohibited gutters on new homes, and the builder wanted to be sure to qualify, since there were so many military buyers in Fayetteville. I never questioned why, but I presume that the VA and FHA considered gutters a detriment to home longevity. Of course, if you have twenty-six Depression era pine trees in your yard, as I did then, you know what would have been filling any gutters, had they been there.My neighbor here in western Wisconsin had severe ice damming this winter, but he has no gutters. Icicles will also back water up the roof. My biggest problem is that the @*&$# paper boy steps on the downspout extension because he's too lazy to stay on the sidewalk.
*No gutter guy: I have a 3' wide piece of plastic running the length of the house that stretches from the foundation, under the drain pipe, and out. This is a valley formation, the rock covers it all. 4" black perforated drain pipe. Sleeved or not, the plastic underneath acts as a pipe. Slopes over doors: There should be a dormer roof over doors that directs the water away. Our roof over our front door needs that: there use to be a gutter there that I angrily ripped off one mid-winter thaw day when the dam ice dam was turning into a major iceberg.
*When you look at a cross section of the gutter, the "flange" is the piece on the top of the portion of the gutter which lies against the fascia. These are typical on new construction, when this flange is nailed onto the roof. I usually revert to ordering it without the flange, sloping it and installing a dripcap off the roof and down the fascia to lap over and into the gutter. Like I said, most new construction just nails it up all level.
*I had always thought of gutters as a necessary evil. A lot of good and better options here.Most of the houses in this area have decks which are either at first floor level or one step down. There's usually a door involved that's under an eave, and the splashback from the deck almost always causes leaks at the door. After guttering, most leaks are gone for good. A lot of rotted brick mould though. I understand how to design against this, but are there any non-gutter ideas on ways to deal with this existing problem?BBI do some stuff for a contractor originally from New Zealand, He uses chain instead of downspouts. It works, looks rather interesting.
*The Japanese probably invented the i chain as downspoutdetail
*I like the chain! Without the downspout hole I bet there would be fewer clogs.Splash-back can only be fixed with eaves, I'd think. Or the Rain Handler (name? that water-dispersal thing), if it works as advertised. Perhaps an isolated go-nowhere gutter segment -- or a cricket -- to get the water away from the door?
*"Chain as downspout"???? What the heck is that?Rich Beckman
*
Hi Andy
As much as we dislike them, in my view, gutters are a necessary evil. The alternative is a dirt splashed exterior, water collecting around our foundations and wet fascia, frieze and decorative moldings.
I've experiemented with several combinations to keep my gutters open with little or no collection of leaves/needles/pods. What I now use is the 36" plastic clip in screens you can get at HD for about a buck each. I attach them with 3 evenly spaced aluminum screws across the front edge of the gutter and tuck them up under the first course of starter shingles. In the two years I have had them up, my gutters have indeed stayed clear. Two potential draw backs....a small amount of water will get around the holes in the plastic cover and drip...usually in large drips...down the face of the gutter. Also, it seems a couple of the local squirrls thought I built this comfy little enclosed gutter for them to nest in. The ensuing rains disabused them of that thought...but I still had a nest I had to go up a clear out...twice! Trimming a couple of oversized maple branches hanging over my roof has hopefully solved this problem.
Best
Bruce M
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Rich
A fairly large dimension linked chain is attached to the gutter and hangs straight down to the ground as a downspout, the water follows the chain to the ground. . . I can't imagine it looking
i right
with western style gutters,(maybe Bucksnort can tell us what his Kiwi friend uses it on) but it looks quite classy with bamboo or tile, and maybe half round copper, or gutters concealed behind stonework. I think drops at all four corners would be necessary to distribute volume.
*Thanks. That's amazing.Rich Beckman
*I agree chain wouldn't look good on a stucco split-level. But I've seen it used nicely in Seattle with a lot of exposed, large-dimension wood. Sort of neuvo-craftsman with 2x for the gutters and 6x or large for porch trim, etc. Now if you could terminate the chain gutters into concrete pilings or auger type anchors, you could really increase the hurricane resistance (if all the other components and fasteners were upgraded).
*Now there's a worthy concept; factory built roofs(complete), delivered to the site and dropped into place with a crane (or Blue'n his crew)and fastened down with "downspout chains" attached to seismic pilings. No more messy birdsmouth nailing, no more truss uplift, . . . need to reshingle?. . .need to add another floor?. . . wanna try a different pitch?. . . just lift off and replace. . .b Franchise info upon request: http://www.fliparoof.not
*Hell, run them chains to China and we can tie the planet together. Then we won't need any politicians, I KNEW gutters were a necessary evil. Still need help over the decks and under the eaves and don't tell me anti-perspirant under the doors. Hoping, BB I
*Billyi "Still need help over the decks and under the eaves"Isn't that why y'all have got the Marines??. . . I hear that anti-perspirant only works in stormy desserts.. . . something to do with collateral staining.
*You could be right, I should call the Marines, And the condition does only happen during storms. I'll speak with my painter about staining my collateral.
*
I find each situation calls for its own solution.
Some buildings don't like evestroughs and some do. This relates to a variety of conditions from the types of trees near the house, the quality of insulation in the roof, the grading around the house, to the type of maintenance oriented person that owns the building.
I prefer the idea of getting the water away from the foundation. I do this by means of a swale as well as baffled down spout runoff. Splash against siding and brick should be eliminated.
Runoff to any building down hill should be checked. I do this with evestroughs and retaining walls.
In Toronto evestroughs are high maintenance - leaves, squirrels and ice dams. I would like to see how the rain away system works. I don't know how it would stand up to abuse. I really like the chain idea. What size of chain - 5/8", 1/2", 1"?
*
The chain looks architecturally stunning!!
The chain appears to be about 1" - 1.5" chain, based on an installation I've seen in the Seattle area (Long Lake park, Port Orchard, WA for those of you in the neighborhood). This installation (the only one I've seen) is for an upscale county park recreation center. It's a single-story building, about 40' x 60', with a moderately-pitched fiber-cement tile roof. The gutters seem to be oversized, with a "chain" downspout at each corner of the building. The roof overhangs are about 3-4 feet, which make the chains stand away from the building. A sidewalk encompasses the perimeter, between the building and the chains. The siding is western red cedar (about 8" boards). The chain is stainless steel and blends nicely with the building and county park setting. The chain passes through a square planter bed filled with decorative stones, and is anchored into the edge of the concrete slab sidewalk underneath. I haven't seen the chains "in action", but the building has been there at least 5 years with not a single sign of water splatter beyond the decorative stone bed.
I don't know where the water goes from there. There may be a collection system tapping into the bottom of each planter bed, with drain pipes hidden underground. (That's probably how I'd do it if I were building it.) I don't recall the material of the planter bed, but I imagine it would have to be pressure-treated lumber, redwood, or possibly lined with a sheet of polyethylene.
All you asked was what size chain it was -- sorry to get carried away with all the other details!
*
I have used half round copper gutters on bronze hangers for 10 years. Some of those systems were piped through the house some through decks. The cost for copper was cheaper than a wood instalation. 20 per ft rather than thirty for wood. al. is the last choice. I also do all my venting for attic space and cathedral ceilings behind the gutter.
*
Here is an interesting hidden gutter system I did on a recently completed project. It is a commercial building set in a steep hillside, the tallest side being some 38' to the eave, the uphill side (shorter)is 18' to the eave. The building is wood frame construction with a 6/12 pitch truss hip roof covered with 26 gauge corrugated metal. The problem was how to clean the gutters easily at the 38' high side (there are several LARGE trees next to the building). A large 3' overhang was also required to help protect window shoppers in the rain (which we get lots of here on B.C.'s west coast).
The trusses were of cantilever design (truss bottom chord continues over exterior wall 3' creating overhang and flat soffit). The trick is the roof pitch ended 2' over the exterior wall leaving the 2x4 bottom chord extending an additional foot creating a one foot wide level gutter bottom. A 2x4 continuous subfacia was installed tying the bottom chord ends together. The bottom 2' of roof slope and 1' gutter bottom was then sheathed with 3/4" plywood, the remainder of the roof was strapped with 1x4's to support the metal roofing. A 2x10 facia was then installed extending 3" above the gutter plywood, a 1 1/2" cantstrip was installed where the gutter plywood meets the facia finishing off the gutter framing. The 2x10 facia looked a little "clunky" so we fastened a 2x4 to the face of 2x10 flush with the top of the 2x10 and a 1" wide cove molding to the underside of the 2x4 to create additional shadow lines. We used douglas fir for the facia assembly and stained it with sikkens mahogany stain (Looks very good). 2" copper leaders were installed at downspout locations. The gutter assembly was lined with EPDM, The facia was capped with flashing custom made by the roofing manufacturer to match the roof colour.
Now to clean the gutters one just has to put a ladder up on the shorter side of the building, and walk around on the 12" wide flat gutter.
*AlbertInteresting detail. . . nicely described. . . I'm surprised you wouldn't have found a way to incorporate an automatice gutter cleaner, a scaled down version of the kind they have in barns. . . you could patent the whole package (I'll settle for any honorary mention) ;}
*I don't know why I didn't think of that either, (I grew up on a dairy farm in southern Ontario).It might be a little complex, but still an interesting idea, maybe I'll mention it to the owner.I would love to see the look on the inspectors face upon seeing that contraption!
*
Here's your chance to get your minds in the gutter (Sorry, but if I didn't get that out of the way, someone else would have had to). I'm deep into writing an article about residential rain gutters, and I'd like to hear what the Breaktime posters have to say. What are the most common gutter profiles and materials where you live? Do you think much about sizing gutters to handle runoff from specific roofs? What size gutters do you use? What size downspouts? How do you hold them to the house? Do Canadian practices differ from US practices? What else do you want to tell me? What would you like to know about gutters?
Thanks for your help.
Andy Engel