How to Replace Gutters and Downspouts?
Gutter replacement involves more than simply taking down old gutters; it involves installing the new ones correctly so as to maintain moisture control without harming your roof, home exterior or foundation. Care must be taken when working from ladders; optimal conditions would include warm temperatures.
Ideal gutter drainage requires that a gutter slope toward its downspout. To mark such a line, start at one end of fascia and measure 20 feet; mark an inch lower than where you started from.
Gutters
Gutters come in various sizes and materials; aluminum gutters are among the most widely-used. When choosing a size based on average rainfall in your region, also keep sloped roofs and soffit slope in mind and purchase enough gutter to cover all necessary areas.
Before mounting gutter sections, cut them to length on a flat, stable surface for easier assembly. Doing this makes connecting them while standing on ladder easier.
If you are replacing existing gutters, take special care in inspecting soffit and fascia boards for signs of rotted wood and repair and repaint them as required before installing your new gutters.
Set brackets into place six inches from either end and every 18-24 inches along the eaves, fastening them with short sheetmetal screws or pop rivets (the latter can look more appealing and leave no sharp spikes inside your gutter). If there is a downspout hole at one end of your gutter section, add an end cap by sliding it on and crimping its edges.
Downspouts
Downspouts collect rain water draining from gutter runs and direct it away from the house, but if they become cracked, missing or clogged it may no longer be able to cope with its volume of rainwater.
Before installing the new downspout, pull down a section of existing gutter to inspect its downspout hole and attachment point at the base of its downspout. Remove any rivets at these connecting points as well as the lower downspout holding strap.
If rust spots appear in your downspout holes, they must first be cleared away prior to installing your new downspout. Next, secure it back with gutter screws; if your existing downspout features an elbow, cut a short piece of gutter to fit between two elbows before crimping a fitting (or using slip coupling) before screwing into place.
Brackets
Gutter systems come in an assortment of materials and vary in terms of durability, resistance to the elements and price. Seamless aluminum gutters tend to cost the most but provide optimal durability and aesthetics, while steel or galvanized gutters tend to be cheaper but more susceptible to corrosion.
No matter which material you select for installation, the process should remain relatively unchanged. Begin by surveying and measuring your existing gutter system prior to commencing any work; take photos as part of this documentation effort where applicable.
Once you have taken measurements, you can begin planning the layout of your new gutters. Each run of gutter should slope downward by half an inch every 10 feet of length, and mark its highest point and snap a chalk line between these points – this will determine where to mount brackets as well as add downspout holes if applicable.
Soffit
Gutter systems rely on functioning fascia and soffits to function optimally, often going unnoticed in their absence from view. Yet these components provide essential support to gutters for carrying away rainwater from your home, helping prevent soil erosion, splashed dirt onto siding and basement leaks.
Effective gutters must slant at approximately 14 inches per 10 feet toward a downspout for optimal performance, otherwise they run the risk of becoming clogged with debris and overflowing during heavy rainfall. Longer than 40-foot gutter runs should feature two downspouts at either end; those located on hip roofs require additional downspouts in their center section.
Homeowners with the appropriate equipment can replace gutters themselves. To do so safely and according to instructions, follow these simple guidelines and always use safe ladder usage. For assistance and advice on where to begin, consider consulting a roofing expert near you; they'll help explain basic soffit and fascia repair or replacement, so your new gutters function optimally.
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Gutter replacement involves more than simply taking down old gutters; it involves installing the new ones correctly so as to maintain moisture control without harming your roof, home exterior or foundation. Care must be taken when working from ladders; optimal conditions would include warm temperatures. Ideal gutter drainage requires that a gutter slope toward its…