Every home is unique, and so is your gutter system. However, many parts remain the same and serve the same function across different gutter system configurations. Gutters, downspouts, splash blocks, and the different parts of your gutter system work together to protect your home from water damage.
Gutters may seem simple at first glance, but their parts serve specific purposes to create a complex system that drains water from your roof and away from your home. In this guide, we’ll cover the different parts of a gutter system and their functions.
Gutters
The most important part of a gutter system is the gutter itself. Sometimes referred to as a rain gutter, this part is a horizontal trough designed to catch rainwater, snowmelt, and debris, then channel it down a pipeline to drain it away from your home.
The trough or depth of the gutter is more concealed than its lip and face. When looking at your gutters from your yard, the gutter lip is the protruding outer edge of the gutter. It collects rainwater from the roof and channels it toward the gutters. On the other hand, the gutter face is the vertical surface of the gutter that’s the most visible from the ground.
Gutters come in many styles, materials, and sizes to fit different types of roofs. Some shapes help to manage the amount of debris and rainwater in the gutters, while others can also be customized to complement your home’s exterior.
Most gutters are installed in sections that fit together to form long channels for water and debris. However, some homes have seamless gutters whose channels are a single continuous slab of material.
Learn More: Seamless vs. Regular Gutters: Which is Better?
Kevin Jones, a Quora contributor with more than 20 years of experience in fabricating gutter systems in addition to roof repair and duct installation, explains how a gutter system protects your home from water and structural damage:
“Gutters are mounted around the perimeter of your roof to catch rainwater and divert [it] to the downspouts to divert the rainwater away from your structure. Without gutters, water intrusion or structural damage may occur, depending on the materials your house is built with, and how your house is built.”
Downspouts
A downspout is an enclosed vertical pipe that runs perpendicular to your gutter and carries water away from the gutter and your house. Additionally, they connect to the gutter along the edge of the roof via a section called an outlet tube.
As a general rule of thumb, there should be one downspout per 20 to 30 feet of gutter. When cleaning your gutters, be sure to include the downspouts to prevent clogs and ensure that water drains away from your home.
Elbows
An elbow is a section of bent vinyl or metal that helps direct the flow of water along corners or contours where the direction of the downspout changes. They’re usually angled at 75- or 90-degrees, depending on their shape, to effectively channel water away from your home.
Outlet Tubes
As mentioned above, an outlet tube (also known as a “drop outlet”) is the bridge that connects the gutter to the downspout. When gutters collect rainwater, the water is channeled through an outlet tube. They are available in rectangular, oval, or round shapes. The shape of the outlet tube determines the volume of water it can channel from the gutter toward the downspout.
Miters
If you have a corner of your roof where two gutters meet, a miter acts as a joint to connect those gutters. Its design reinforces the seam where they connect and prevents leaks in the gutter corners.
When the gutters meet on an outside corner, an outside miter connects them. Similarly, an inside miter joins two gutter sections on an inside corner.
There are two commonly used types of gutter miters:
- Box miters are pre-manufactured pieces attached to the two gutter runs at a corner, using sealant and fasteners to close the two seams.
- Strip miters are custom-fabricated with a single-seam design, meaning only one side of the miter needs to be sealed. Unlike a box miter, any screws and fasteners used to hold a strip miter together are not visible, which can maintain the aesthetic integrity of your home.
Downspout Straps
Downspout straps, also called “pipe cleats” or “downspout brackets,” are specially designed brackets that secure the downspout to a wall of your home. They look like clips that attach to the side of your house via heavy-duty screws or bolts.
They are composed of bent pieces of metal or plastic that wrap around the length of the downspout to support the downspout’s weight and keep it in place. Attaching evenly spaced straps along the downspout’s surface ensures proper water drainage throughout the gutter system.
End Caps
Gutters are shaped like hollow tubes or troughs, which might lead water to slosh out from the sides. End caps (also known as “gutter stop ends” or “gutter end pieces”) are attached to the corners where water exits the gutters to prevent water from spilling outside the tubes.
Fasteners
Gutter spikes, ferrules, and gutter hangers are fasteners that secure gutters to the fascia board. Aside from supporting the gutters’ weight, gutter fasteners help preserve the slope to ensure water effectively drains toward the downspouts.
There are two common options for fasteners:
Gutter Spike and Ferrule
A gutter spike is a large nail that mounts your gutters to the roof. The spike is inserted inside a ferrule to prevent it from rusting. A ferrule is a hollow metal piece that secures the gutter spike when attached to the fascia.
These two components work together to secure the gutters in place. However, gutter spikes and ferrules are no longer widely used as fasteners because they complicate gutter and roof repairs.
Gutter Hangers
As mentioned above, gutter hangers are more commonly used nowadays. They include two metal pieces, a bracket and a hanger, that work together to secure the gutter to the fascia board. Unlike gutter spikes and ferrules, gutter hangers can be concealed. Additionally, they are easier to remove and reattach for home maintenance and repair.
Splash Blocks
When the water drained from your gutters reaches the end of its journey, it needs somewhere to go. Draining that much water directly onto the ground can lead to foundation issues, damage to your home, soil erosion, or overwatered patches of lawn. While you could bury the downspout to solve this, a splash block presents a simpler solution.
A splash block or a splash guard is a rectangular piece of concrete, metal, or plastic placed at the end of a downspout. Its open-ended side directs water as far away from your home’s foundation as possible.
Splash blocks can be as broad or narrow as your home’s needs, and are made of concrete or plastic. Additionally, you can customize a splash block to be a decorative fixture and add to your home’s visual appeal.
Home Gnome delivers the best home service experience at the click of a button. Book reliable, skilled services in seconds and leave the rest to us.
What to read next:
Main Photo Credit: Infographic by Aris Berroya
Related Posts:
