Cutting gutters
The gutter is not only the most important part of the roof, but of the entire house. It collects rainwater and condensation before it is drained through the down pipe into the ground or into a rain barrel.
Draining the water by means of a down pipe offers a number of advantages. On the one hand, residents and passers-by are not hit by so-called water cascades, and on the other hand, you can collect the rainwater in a barrel to water the garden with it.
However, it is quite clear that a gutter does not last forever. After a few years, it must be replaced. In the best case, it is enough to replace only the gutters. Mostly, however, one should get acquainted with the idea that the complete gutter with all brackets, gutter irons as well as down pipes must be renewed.
Cost factors in the replacement of the gutter
The cost of gutter replacement depends primarily on the material used.
Aluminum is very cheap. If you decide to use zinc, the cost increases accordingly. With a gutter made of copper, one must expect the highest costs.
However, investing in a high-quality and expensive gutter can be worthwhile. On the whole, aluminum is less durable, and it also performs worse in terms of weather resistance. If you use a gutter including the downspouts made of copper, you can expect to have peace of mind for many decades and not have to think about renovation.
Why should gutter renewal be tackled as soon as possible?
Rainwater and condensation must be drained away as quickly as possible via gutters and downspouts. If the water accumulates and cannot drain away quickly enough, it can cause damage to the building. This includes soaked facades as well as soaked masonry, standing water at the base of the masonry, and wet basement walls.
The consequence of this is massive mold growth in various places in the house. Therefore, it does not make sense to postpone the replacement of the gutter in the long term, because costs due to damage that occurs are usually much higher than the cost of a new gutter.
Renewing the gutter under your own steam
If you have decided to renew the gutter on your own, you should make sure in advance that all the necessary materials are available and ready.
Required materials:
- gutter elements in the chosen material
- suitable end pieces
- drain piece for the down pipe
- down pipes in the chosen material
- downpipe bends
- screws, nuts, and other fastening materials
- leaf net or leaf grid for the gutter
- loose and fixed clamps
- verge sheet metal
Tools needed:
- scaffolding or construction ladder
- wood saw
- pencil
- hammer
- pliers
- cordless screwdriver
- sandpaper
- screwdriver
- spirit level
- folding ruler
- tin snips
Choice of material for gutters
The exterior of the house did not look ridiculous, you need to choose elements of the gutter and coordinate them with the roof covering. For example, a plastic pipe on a house with a copper roof, will not look very nice.
There are some general rules for the choice of material for the gutter system:
- for high-end buildings clad with expensive materials from top to bottom (such as ceramic tiles or slate tiles), choose zinc-titanium and copper guttering;
- regular roofing felt, slate, roofing felt and plastic are in perfect harmony with PVC;
- roofing steel and tin-plate look perfect on roofs of corrugated steel and metal;
- aluminum gutter combines with almost all kinds of coatings of metal and plastic.
Instructions for cutting out the gutters
- Set up your work table.
- Turn the aluminum chute upside down and place it on the table.
- Measure the length you need to cut and make a pencil mark on the bottom of the chute.
- Using the edge of the combination square, make a pencil mark on both sides of the chute.
- Turn the gutter section over so that you can hold it by one side.
- Begin cutting the outer edge of the flange with the template scissors.
Work slowly to ensure a straight cut and limit wrinkling of the metal.
- Cut until you reach the bottom of the gutter.
- Switch to the other side of the chute and cut the fishing line until you reach the bottom again.
- Bend the chute slightly away from the cuts to expose the bottom.
- Cut the bottom.
- Trim the sharp edges left by the cutting process.
- Repeat for each section to be cut and installed.
