How to Assemble a Rain Gutter
Almost no home is complete without rain gutters. Without rain gutters, our lawns and gardens would be left a muddy mess after any heavy rainfall. Gutters help divert and channel the water falling off the roof. Typically made out of galvanized metal or aluminum, gutters come in sections that are assembled and installed around the fascia of your roof. After calculating the gutter and downspout measurements and buying the materials, rain gutters can be properly installed on your own. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Gutters
- Downspout
- Gutter brackets
- Downspout brackets
- Noncorrosive rivets
- Rivet gun
- Noncorrosive screws
- Gutter elbows
- Mounting straps
- Drill
- Pliers
- Aluminum snips
- Miter saw with carbide finishing blade
- Silicon caulk
- Caulk gun
- Chalk line
- Wood chisel
- Hammer
Instructions
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1
Mark on the fascia the point for the high end of the gutter. Place the mark 1 1/4 inch below the metal roof-end flashing.
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2
Mark the other end of the fascia for the low end of the gutter. This will be where the downspout will go. The slope of the gutter should be at a rate of 1/2 inch for every 10 feet. For extra-large houses with very long fascia, you may want to place the high end in the middle and have two downspouts, one at each end, or you may want to place your downspout in the middle of the fascia and slope the gutter down from both ends.
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3
Snap a chalk line that connects the marks.
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4
Place a mark along the chalk line where every other rafter is.
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5
Drill pilot holes in those marks for attaching the gutter brackets and downspout brackets. Attach the gutter brackets, aligning the top screw with the chalk line.
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6
Cut any sections of gutter that need shortening with a miter saw that has a carbide finishing blade. Cuts that do not quite release can be finished with aluminum snips. Cut sections to be fitted around corners at 45-degree angles. Any straight sections should overlap in the direction of the slope by at least 8 inches and be fastened together at the sides with rivets. Always pre-drill pilot holes for the rivets.
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7
Lay out and assemble the gutter system on the ground around your house first, making sure that all lengths are correct.
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8
Attach the end caps with rivets. Most caps have pre-drilled holes for the rivets. Pre-drill the rivet holes in the gutter.
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9
Mark the end of the gutter where the hole for the downspout should go. Trace the inside of the downspout outlet for cutting out the downspout hole.
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10
Cut the downspout hole out with a wood chisel and hammer. Tap on the back of the chisel with the hammer to cut through the metal.
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11
Insert the gutters into the brackets. Make sure the gutters are not coming into contact with any electrical wires.
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12
Drill pilot holes in the gutter by drilling through the screw holes in the front of each bracket. Secure the gutter to the bracket with 1-inch screws and flanged nuts. Some types of gutters use gutter clips instead.
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13
Cover the exterior of the corner joints with a 3-inch strip of the gutter material. Use rivets to attach the strip. Cut it to a length that folds just a bit over the top edge of the gutter.
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14
Seal all rivet holes and corner joint seams with silicon caulk. Seal the seams around the downspout hole inside the bottom end of the gutter with caulk.
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