Important Tips you Require While Replacing Your Gutters
Gutters are important features to have when it comes to the collection and storage of rain water. They are specially crafted to trap all the rain water that falls on the roof directing it to a water storage facility. Gutters are also used to avoid the spillage of water from the room all around the house. This is done by collecting and directing the water to a sewerage system. Roofs are capable of collecting a lot of water during the rainy seasons and if such water is not well managed, it may lead to flooding or other forms of destruction. Gutters are also known to be quite durable, capable of offering years of service. However, once the gutters become old and weary, they have to be replaced. This process involves taking down the old gutters and installing new ones which are more efficient and effective. When looking to install gutters, here are some of the tips you should consider for the process to be successful.
- Conduct a measurement of the entire roofing network where the gutters are to be installed – This here represents the very first step to be considered while looking to replace gutters. It can be done with the use of instruments such as tape measures as they will offer precise measurements. The measurement of the gutter length is important as this prevents you from either over buying or under buying which will result to overspending or the hustle of going back to the store for more gutters.
- Be Aware of the Gutter Types You Require – Gutters come in various kinds each intended for its specific purpose. The different classes of gutters include eaves, parapet and valley gutters. The eaves gutters are those which can be found at the bottom edge of a sloping roof. These gutters are attached to fascia boards with the use of brackets. The second type of gutter is the parapet gutter which is used in the draining of a flat roof between parapet walls. The parapet walls have a gap where the roof slopes towards to direct the rain water into a hopper fitted at the very top of a down pipe. Lastly, we have the valley gutter which is placed at the junction of different sloping roofs. They are also characterised with metal flashings which run the length of the valley forming a watertight gutter that directs the rain water into parapet or eave gutters.
- The principle of Expansion and Contraction – This step comes in handy when looking to fix plastic gutters. Considering that plastic has now become the modernity of gutters, using expansion and contraction will go a long way to ensure each of the gutter pieces fit perfectly. The gutters come with a depth mark which can be used to know where exactly to fit the gutters into each other. Line the pieces according to this marks to give room for both expansion and contraction during various weather patterns.
For more information, contact companies like ACT Gutter Service.