Gutter Installation Guide by Steadman’s Rain Gutters

Proper gutter installation plays a very important role in the maintenance of your home. Most homeowners don't spend a lot of time thinking about their gutters, but understanding their importance may prevent you some costly home repair bills in the future.

Aluminum gutters are a great rain solution product. They are low cost, easily maintained and a long lasting solution for many homes. They are weather-resistant and maintain their integrity in cold climates. Seamless aluminum gutters will not rust and have a life expectancy of approximately 25 - 30 years.

5" Seamless k-style Gutters: are the most common gutter in North America and has a rainwater capacity of 1.2 gallons per foot. They can be used in new installations or to replace existing gutters. The traditional K-style blends in well with almost all homes. If properly cleaned and maintained, they will provide many years of trouble free service.

Gutter Hangers

Gutter hangers are brackets that interlock into the front and back of the gutter and are then screwed into the fascia under the drip edge flashing.

For standard fascia gutter installations, gutter hangers, sometimes called hidden hangers, should be installed every 24 inches. In the colder climates, you may encounter heavy ice and snow loads in the gutter. This extra weight will require hangers every 12 to 18 inches.

Gutter Screws

The gutter screws used for fastening the gutter hangers to the fascia board should be #10 x 1.5" or # 10 x 2" long cadmium, zinc or stainless steel wood grip and have a hex head for use with a 1/4" nut driver.

If you have an older home with gutters, they were most likely installed with the spike and ferrule method. A type of gutter installation in which a metal cylinder or tube is placed inside the gutter to strengthen it and keep it from bending. The spike is driven through the face of the gutter, through the ferrule and into the wood fascia board.

While the spike and ferrule method was the standard for years, most gutter installation companies have changed to some form of the gutter hanger with a screw anchoring method.

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Gutter Installation Guide by Steadman's Rain Gutters