Rain Gutter Glossary

Definition of a Rain Gutter:

A rain gutter (also known as eaves trough, guttering or simply as a gutter) is a narrow channel, or trough, forming the component of a roof system which collects and diverts rainwater shed by the roof. In many buildings, the purpose of this diversion is to prevent water from falling off the roof edges. This uncontrolled water can cause structural damage to the outside walls and/or the foundation of a building over time. Another purpose of rain gutter is to harvest rainwater for household or garden use.

Rain gutters can be constructed from a variety of materials, including galvanized steel, painted steel, copper, painted aluminum (also known as Seamless Aluminum), PVC (and other plastics), concrete, stone and wood.

Water collected by a rain gutter is fed, usually via a downspout, into a collection system. A collection system can be a rainwater tank, a storm water main, or a sewer main (depending upon local codes). In some locations where collection to a main is not feasible, the water is dispersed into a storm water pit or cistern.

Different styles of gutter are available to suit the design of the roof and house. Exterior rain gutters are available in a variety of profiles to suit the appearance of the building. Exterior rain gutter is fixed to the fascia board, which in turn is fixed to the ends of the rafters. A fascia gutter incorporates a rain gutter with a fascia. A box gutter is a deep gutter, which is concealed within the structure of the roof. A box gutter is usually applied when the rainwater is to be collected from points within the boundary walls of the building. Water collected by a box gutter is fed to the down-pipe via a rain head.

One of the most popular forms of rain gutter is "Seamless". This is a method by which long lengths of gutter can be made on site and therefore avoiding seaming of sectional gutters. Seamless gutters are available in a variety of metals, shapes, sizes, and finishes.

Rain gutters can be equipped with gutter screens, louvers or solid hoods to allow water from the roof to flow through, but block leaves and other debris from entering and building up in the gutter.

Rain gutters can have their drains directed to rain collection systems that allows the saving of the rain water for use later, or into an underground pipe system the leads to the street or other collection areas.

A possible origin of the word "gutter" can be traced to the Latin word gutta, which means drop or droplet.

       Below is a comprehensive list of common industry terms associated with Rain Gutters and Rain Gutter Protection. If you have a question regarding a specific term or for one not listed, please call All Gutter Systems at 616-532-2200 and we'll be happy to offer a definition.

Apron Flashing: A horizontal flashing installed where the top end of a roof slope meets a vertical projection, such as a chimney or parapet wall.

Barge: A finishing at the gable end of a roof, fixed parallel to the roof slope.

BMT: Base metal thickness.

Box Gutter: A gutter not at an eave, typically at the base of two opposing roof slopes.

Bid: A formal offer by a contractor, in accordance with specifications for a project, to do all or a phase of the work at a certain price in accordance with the terms and conditions stated in the offer.

Brick mold: Trim used around an exterior doorjamb that siding butts to.

Built-up roof: A roofing composed of three to five layers of asphalt felt laminated with coal tar, pitch, or asphalt. The top is finished with crushed slag or gravel. Generally used on flat or low-pitched roofs.

Cap flashing: The portion of the flashing attached to a vertical surface to prevent water from migrating behind the base flashing.

Capping: A cover at the top of a gap that weatherproofs, typically at the ridge of a pitched roof.

Chimney Gutter: See Soaker.

CGI: See Corrugated Roofing.

Cladding: Sheeting that encloses a building-roofing and walling.

Counter (or over) Flashing: A flashing dressed down as a cover only, over a separate upstand.

Downpipe: A pipe to carry roof water from gutters and roof catchments to drains or storage tanks.

Drainage: A system of gutters and drainpipes that carry water away from the foundation of a house.

Drip Edge: A non-corrosive, non-staining material used along the eaves and rakes to allow water run-off to drip clear of underlying construction.

Drop: See Pop.

Drop Outlet: Formed piece that serves as the hole from which the water travels from the horizontal section of the gutter to the downspout.

Eaves Gutter: A roof gutter attached at an eaves overhang.

Elbow: Pre-finished angled piece for directing water flow.

Electrolytic (galvanic) Corrosion: Corrosion resulting from the contact of two different metals when an electrolyte (like water) is present.

End Cap: Flat formed piece that is placed at the end of a gutter section.

Expansion Joint: A joint in a long run of cladding, gutter or flashing designed to allow for thermal expansion and contraction.

Fall (slope): The slope of the roof or gutter, often expressed in degrees, or as a ratio of vertical height to horizontal distance (e.g. 1 in 20).

Fascia (fascia board): A flat board that runs horizontally along the eaves of a roof, typically capping the ends of the roof rafters to give the roof edge a more finished look and provide a base for attaching gutters.

Fixings Screws: nails or clouts used to fasten cladding to a building structure.

Flashing: A material, usually metal, used to waterproof the junction between two intersecting roofs and/or wall surfaces. At a masonry wall, it is often built into the mortar.

Galvanized Steel: Steel sheeting protected against corrosion by a zinc coating applied by the continuous hot-dip process.

Girth: The width of the blank strip from which a profile is rolled (usually refers to gutters and flashings).

Gutter: Horizontal channels installed at the edge of a roof to carry rainwater or melted snow away from the house.

Hanger: Flat strap that is installed under the roofing material that holds up the horizontal section of the gutter.

Hanging Flashing: Side, front, or back cover piece used to prevent entry of water between abutting surfaces and other gutters, flashings and soakers.

Inside miter box: A corner piece of the horizontal section that is deflected in.

Leader: A pipe that carries rainwater from the gutters to the ground, sewers, or wells.

Mansard: A roof built at two pitches, the steeper pitch commencing at the eaves and the flatter pitch finishing at the ridge.

Nozzle: See Pop.

Offset: A pipe fitting that directs a downpipe from the gutter, under the eaves soffit and down a wall.

Oilcanning: Variation from flatness of sheet metal, creating undulations along the surface. The result is poor appearance and potential ponding.

Outside mitre box: A corner piece of the horizontal section that is deflected out.

Pan: The flat portion between the ribs in a pan-type preformed sheet.

Parapet: A wall on the perimeter of a building that projects above the line of the eaves.

Penetration: A projection through the roof, e.g. vent pipe, chimney or rooflight.

Pierce-fastened: A method of fixing cladding by means of a screw or nail which pierces the cladding.

Pitch: The angle at which a horizontal section of gutter is tilted in order to force water to flow toward a downspout.

Ponding: Pooling of undrained water on a roof.

Pop: A short fitting in a gutter sole, where rainwater leaves the gutter.

Rainhead: A box-shaped receptacle sometimes used between gutters and downpipes to provide an external overflow point.

R-value: A value given for the resistance to heat transfer of a roof or wall system.

Rib: A longitudinal upstand in cladding.

Ridge Capping: Formed metal designed to weatherproof the junction at the apex of opposing roof slopes.

Run: Length of a horizontal section of gutter.

Saddle Strap: See Straps.

Sarking: A membrane to collect and discharge clear of the structure any water that may penetrate a roof or wall cladding.

Shoe: A fitting used in a downpipe, to change direction of the downpipe by about 45 degrees.

Soaker (gutter): A small gutter located on the upper side of a chimneystack.

Soaker (flashings): A side cover piece extended over a roof cover and overflashed with a hanging flashing. Formed metal designed to weatherproof the perimeter of roof protrusions or penetrations. Soaker flashings are usually positioned under rather than over the surrounding metal roof.

Sole: The internal, bottom surface of a roof gutter.

Splashblock: Plastic or concrete surface put under a downspout to direct water away from the house.

Spreader: A downpipe-tee or elbow fixed at 90 degrees to the roof slope used to spread stormwater over a greater area of the roof.

Spouting: See Gutter.

Strap: Flat hangers that are nailed into the house to hold the downspouts in place.

Sump: A roof gutter pit used to connect downpipes to internal roof gutters.

Thermal Stress: Stress due to expansion and contraction caused by changes in temperature.

Trays: See Pan.

Valley Gutter: A gutter at the bottom intersection of two sloping roofs (also called a valley flashing).

Valley Boards: Timber or profiled metal laid under a valley gutter to support it.

Zincalume: Steel sheeting protected against corrosion by an aluminum-zinc coating.

Gauge: The thickness or the gauge of the gutter is very important. Primary aluminum is the thickest and most consistent available. The gauges range from .027-in, to .032in, the most used thickness is .027 in. for 6” gutters and .032 for 7” gutters.

Run Length: A straight section of gutter mounted against the fascia board. It is measured in linear feet.

• A Gabled Roof has 2 runs, front and rear.
• A Hip Roof has 4 runs.
• Fascia Board - The flat horizontal surface right below the edge of a roof
• Linear feet (often called Lineal feet) - A linear foot is the same as regular feet. It is a one-foot length of any long, narrow object. No conversion is necessary. If something is 6 linear feet tall, it is 6 feet tall. That just means when measuring linear feet, contractors are not taking the width into account. If you bought 100 linear feet of gutter, laying them down end to end would stretch for 100 feet, it wouldn’t matter how wide the gutters were.

Run Height: The height (in stories) at which each gutter run will be located (1st story, 2nd story etc.). This is used to determine the length of downspout needed.

Downspout: A pipe that carries rainwater from a roof gutter down to a drain or to the ground.

Fascia Angle: If there is any fascia board that is angled to follow the roof rafters, there is usually an extra charge.

Fascia Replacement: New gutters need a solid fascia surface upon which to be mounted. The rotted boards need to be replaced. Fascia boards narrower than 3” in width must be built out to provide proper support for hanging your new gutters.

Colors: Choose colors that will blend with your house. The gutters and downspouts are available in a number of different colors. The price varies depending on the color you choose.

TERMS REGARDING THE INSTALLATION PROCESS

Seamless Gutter Machine: a machine right on the truck. The coil of metal in the color you have chosen is rolled through the forming machine to create a continuous piece of gutter that is custom sized to your home.

Spike and Ferrule: 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 at the top, through the ferrule and into the wood fascia board.

Hangers or Hidden Bracket: These brackets (sometime called eave hooks) interlock into the gutter and are then attached to the roof under the shingles. This option offers a cleaner look and is usually a little more expensive.

Sealing and Adding Corners: The crew will work their way around the house, fabricating, installing and sealing each length of gutter and each inside or outside corner as they go.

Mitres (Corners): fabricating the corners on site using the same material as the rest of the house, the advantage is that there is one seam instead of 3 and it’s a cleaner look overall.

Adding Downspouts: The last step is the determining the location and number of downspouts needed and then installing them in the best location for directing the water away from the house. For every 1200 square ft. of roofing area it will require a 3 x 4 downspout. For example: If your roof is 4Oft. long and 1 6ft. to the peak (40 x 16 =640 square ft. area). Requires (1) 3x4 downspout. The estimate should include the price of the downspouts. Be sure to ask how many there will be before starting the job..

Further Advice

Why Gutter Protection is a Good Idea

What is the fundamental job of a gutter protector? Being a gutter protector is pretty tough work--24 hours a day, 365 days a year, year in and year out, the gutter protector has to defend your gutter, in all kinds of weather and wind storm conditions, against an assault of leaves, blossoms, twigs, birds, squirrels, balls, toys, and so on. However, there are some homes located under a canopy of trees--no daylight to be seen from late May to the end of November.

It's these homeowners who would normally have to clean their gutters 5-to-6 times in the fall and another 3-to-4 times in the spring to keep their gutters clean and free flowing that find "suit and tie" maintenance a welcome alternative to cleaning gutters.
Gutter Protection is a reasonable and affordable alternative, eliminating clogged gutters, which can lead to expensive home repairs, such as:

* Sagging Gutters
* Wet Walls
* Leaky and Cracked Foundations
* Flooded Basements

Gutter Protection eliminates one of the messiest jobs at your home, freeing up your time for more leisurely activities. Leaf guards promote being cautious, as you will avoid dangerous ladder climbing to clean out clogs caused by leaves and debris. Gutter protection offers a low profile, is pleasing to the eye and preserves your home's "curb appeal."

A Word on Ice dams:

Ice, snow and wind can have devastating consequences on the coziest of homes. Last winter alone there was over $1.5 billion dollars in insured losses due to burst pipes, frozen gutters and other weather-related disasters, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

"It is when the leaves start to turn and not when the snow is beginning to fall that homeowners need to get ready for severe winter weather," says Jayna Neagle, spokeswoman for the I.I.I. "A little time and effort in October or November can prevent the heartache of burst pipes and other disasters when Old Man Winter brings snow, freezing temperatures and arctic winds. The I.I.I. suggests that homeowners take the precautions by maintaining gutters and removing leaves, acorns, sticks and other debris from gutters. This allows melting snow and ice to flow freely.

This can also prevent ice damming - a condition where water is unable to properly drain through the gutters and instead seeps into the house causing water to drip from the ceiling and walls. You may also consider installing our Permathaw system.

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