It's the rainy season here on the coast, and your home should have a well working drainage system to minimize the effects of winter. An effective gutter system is an integral part of keeping your foundation and basement dry, and maybe even your neighbour's basement too! Modern offers gutter installation services to make it easy, so all you have to do is choose the style and colour. Modern has 15 colours to choose from so you can match your trim to perfectly complement your exterior. If you're in the do-it-yourself camp, here are some tips on fascia style gutter installation that will help.
Modern offers seamless gutters so that you can get the lengths you need, with minimal hassle. We can produce them on site so they're ready to hang without the need for creating and sealing seams. It's much easier than creating each seam with screws or rivets and creating watertight seals.
First things first:
1. Make a plan. Measure the length of all sloped roof edges where water will naturally run. You'll need to know how many feet of gutters you'll need, and where they will connect to downspouts and to your drainage field. There are K-style and fascia style gutters so talk to our staff about which option is best for you. If you hate cleaning gutters, it's also a great time to talk about Leafguard products. These screens and leaf catchers make maintenance a breeze, keeping your gutter system debris free so the water can flow smoothly.
2. For every 10 feet of gutter, you'll need a half inch of slope toward the downspout to ensure the water is moving in the direction you want. If the gutter is longer than 40 feet, you'll want to either start in the centre and slope down in both directions to downspouts or slope in the opposite direction and place the downspout in the middle of the run.
3. The high point of the gutter should be about an inch and quarter below the drip edge flashing on the fascia board. The low end should take into account that you'll need to drop by a 1/2 inch for each 10 feet of slope. Use a chalk line to mark the run between those two points. If you happen to see any maintenance issues with your fasica boards, now's the time to fix them.
4. Usually the ends of the rafters behind the fascia are placed every 16 inches on the centre. Start by marking the location of each rafter tail along the chalk line. Drill a 1/8 inch pilot hole at each mark as this is where you'll be adding the fascia brackets that will hold your gutters in place. When you add each bracket, keep in mind that you'll want at least 2 inches of your lag screws to penetrate the rafters.
5. You'll need to include a hole for the downspout before you hang the gutters into place. If you turn the gutter upside down, you can mark the place where the downspout will attach. Trace the outside of the downspout for sizing, and then flip the gutter right side up to cut out the hole. Adding a hole saw to your drill chuck works well for this.
6. The next step is to hang the gutters onto your fascia brackets. The bracket has a pre-drilled hole for fastening to the gutter. We recommend a 1 inch stainless steel screw and flanged nut to hold it in place.
7. Once the gutters are attached to the structure, you can add the downspouts which will lead the water to your drainage system. Brackets will hold them in place against the exterior of your home.
We don't want to discourage anyone from getting the satisfaction of doing their own building or home maintenance projects, but we're here to help with friendly advise and product recommendations. For those who'd rather be working on something else, you can delegate this one with full confidence. Give us a call for a free estimate on your seamless gutter installation.
