Aluminum & Box Gutters and Downspouts

Aluminum Gutters

Properly installed aluminum gutters and downspouts will direct water away from your house, preventing basement leaks and damage to your landscaping. Aluminum gutters are the most popular drainage system used by homeowners because they are lightweight, pre-finished in a variety of colors, and easy to maintain. Deer Park Roofing, Inc. customers can request a free Gutter and Downspout estimate online.

Installing Aluminum Gutters and Downspouts

Deer Park Roofing, Inc. custom fabricates each aluminum gutter to fit the dimensions of your roof. Gutters are fabricated at your jobsite to ensure that it will be seamless. Seamless gutters are durable during thermal expansion and contraction, making them less likely to leak over time. The gutter style that is typically fabricated and installed is called K-Style or Ogee gutters. Other gutter types installed by Deer Park Roofing, Inc. are half-round gutters, yankee gutters, and box gutters.

After gutters are extruded to their appropriate lengths, end caps are installed. Gutter sealant is applied to aluminum end caps and then they are pop riveted to the gutter. Deer Park Roofing, Inc. does not recommend using zip screws to secure end caps (or other gutter accessories) because they are likely to rust over time.

Outlet tubes are installed in aluminum gutters to allow water to drain into the downspouts. A hole is cut in the gutter in order to install the outlet tubes. Gutter sealant is then applied and the outlet tube is riveted to the gutter.

Gutters are secured to your house or building using hidden gutter hangers and screws. Fasteners should be applied through the fascia board and into the rafter tails. This type of fastening pattern will ensure that the gutter will remain on your house or building during times of heavy rain or snow. Gutters that are only secured to the fascia board can fall off if they become too heavy, sometimes taking the fascia board with it.

Miters, splash guards, water diverters and aluminum gutter apron are also important parts of a gutter system. Miters are installed with aluminum pop rivets at outside and inside gutter corners. Aluminum splash guards are installed at the intersection of roof valleys and gutters to prevent water from overshooting the gutter. Aluminum gutter apron is 2 inches x 3 inches and protects the area between the roof sheathing and the fascia board. Gutter apron is important in preventing water , insects, and animals from entering through the eaves. It is typically fastened to the roof deck beneath the roof underlayment.

Aluminum gutter sizes are measures by width at the top of the gutter. Deer Park Roofing, Inc. recommends 6" gutters (made from heavy duty .032 aluminum) for most residential structures in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Gutters are also available in the 5" width.

Most residential downspouts are rectangular and are 2" x 3" or 3" x 4". A 2" x 3" downspout can drain 600 Sq Ft of roof area (using historical rainfall data) while a 3" x 4" downspout will drain 1200 sq feet of roof area. Deer Park Roofing, Inc. usually recommends that gutters greater than 40 ft in length have 2 downspouts attached, one at each end.

Leaf Relief Gutter Protection System

Leaf Relief mounts securely to the (existing or new) gutter system eliminating trips up the ladder to clean gutters. Leaf Relief is 100% effective of blocking leaves, 99 % effective at blocking twigs, and 97% effective at blocking pine needles. It is independent of the roof system and does not come in direct contact with shingles or other roofing materials.

When leaves and debris are not obstructing your Leaf Relief gutter protection system, 29.7 inches of water per hour (20 foot roof section) drains through. That's 2.5 times greater than the official rainfall world record (Kilauea, Hawaii- 12 inches in one hour). When leaves and debris do obstruct water flow, 19 inches of water per hour still passes through the Leaf Relief system. (1.5 times greater than the world record).

Maintenance to this system is rarely required because a most dry debris is cleared from the surface with a 6 mph breeze. When leaves or debris is wet, it is removed with 23 mph wind.

Gutter Drainage and Damage to Aluminum Gutters from Copper

Corrosion can occur when different metals come in contact with each other, especially copper and aluminum. This effect is known as "galvanic corrosion of dissimilar metals." Copper can cause deterioration to your aluminum gutters if copper roofing materials are present. Copper roofing materials could include flashings and even shingle granules (for algae resistance). In certain situations, the Deer Park Roofing, Inc. staff may recommend installing copper gutters and downspouts to avoid corrosion. Damage to aluminum gutters from copper is more likely to occur when an aluminum gutter system has poor drainage or standing water.

Box Gutters

Box Gutters are typically found on older, historical homes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Unlike aluminum gutters, they are part of the roof structure. Box gutters consist of wood framing with a sheet metal lining, usually copper or terne metal (tin coated steel). The sheet metal creates a trough for the water to flow to the downspout. Since box gutters are usually over one foot wide, they rarely clog or overflow. Copper box gutter linings are more durable that terne metal and require very little maintenance. Terne metal linings require paining about every five years and should be cleared of debris to prevent rust and corrosion.

Keyes Box Gutters

Best Practices for Replacing or Relining Box Gutters

Be careful of quick or cheap fixes or coatings. Most box gutters that are leaking will require wood replacement. Applying tar, caulk, or rubber over a leaking box gutter is not a good long term solution and is usually a waste of money.
Do not install a new metal liner over an existing one. It is always best to remove the box gutter lining and replace any damaged wood beneath the copper or terne metal. Condensation problems usually occur when two metal linings exist within one system.
Roof systems with box gutters usually create ideal situations for ice dams, especially in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. These conditions include poor insulation and ventilation combined with a significant overhang at the eaves. An ice an water membrane should always be installed on roofs that have box gutters.
Always use stainless steel outlet tubes. Galvanized outlet tubes are impossible to maintain (since they are too small to paint) after they are installed. Stainless steel tubes are slightly more expensive but maintenance free.
Rosin paper should be installed over the wood and beneath the sheet metal instead of roofing felt.
All box gutter seams, corners, and outlets should be riveted and then soldered. Caulk or roof cement should never be applied to new box gutters.
Some homeowners choose to install terne metal linings instead of copper (due to cost). If terne metal is installed it must be painted with a direct to metal primer then with an exterior paint.

For more information about box gutter repair or replacement, please Email Us.

Deer Park Roofing has two full time box gutter crews with years of experience to ensure every installation is a success.