GUTTERS

The discussion of gutters will be divided into two families. The first will be a one-piece gutter that is fabricated with a continuous flange that extends up onto the roof deck. The second will be a gutter without a flange that requires an apron flashing piece that extends up onto the roof deck and down into the back of the gutter and this will be referred to as a two-piece gutter.

Gutters in both families can be made of copper, galvanized iron, aluminum and to a much lesser degree, plastics. The metal can be prefinished, or primed and painted to achieve custom colors. There can be significant variation in the thickness of these metals and that can directly affect the performance of the gutter system.

Many gutters are referred to as seamless because they are run out of roll formers, but in reality have seams at the ends, miters and outlets. The seams in these gutters are normally sealed with caulking. The seams in copper and galvanized iron gutters are recommended to be mechanically fastened together and soldered. Gutters may come in a number of standard profiles and an almost infinite number of custom profiles. Each of the profiles can be fabricated to different sizes. Straps to secure the front of the gutters are an important aspect of the gutter system and the spacing on the straps should be specified.

Downspouts are typically made from the same metal as the gutter, but this is not required. The downspouts are available in different profiles and sizes for each profile.

Your Garlock-French representative would be happy to assist you in selecting the gutter product and profile best suited to your home.