Gutter Terminology

Commercial

Refers to the size of gutters & downspouts used for larger structures. Commercial gutters are 6" wide measured from the top of the gutter from front to back and downspouts are rectangular, measuring 3"x4".

Covers aka Gutter Guards

Long pieces made from a variety of materials and of various designs installed to the top of gutters to prevent debris from entering the gutters and clogging the system (particularly at the outlet).

Downspout

A vertical drainpipe carrying the water from the gutter to the ground.

Drip Edge

Molding, usually aluminum and similar to a gutter apron, installed at the terminus of the roofing shingles as a transition to the fascia

Elbows

Pre-manufactured metal pieces that allow a downspout to change direction, usually only at right angles. An 'A' elbow lets it come away from the structure while a 'B' elbow allows it to run along the structure.

End Caps

Small metal pre-manufactured pieces installed at the end of a gutter to cap off the water flow.

Extension

An addition to the bottom of the downspout to get the water further from the house.

Fascia

Refers to the wood attached to the joists that the gutters are secured to or the aluminum covering this wood.

Flashing aka Gutter Apron

A long section of aluminum in the shape of an 'L' installed under the roofing shingles and into the rear side of the gutter to prevent water from seeping behind the gutter.

Galvanized

Treated steel, the metal of which gutters were made of decades ago.

Gutter

A long channel on the side of a structure to collect rainwater coming off the roof.

Mitres

Sub-categorized into outside or inside, attaches two gutter pieces at a 90-degree turn. They can also be manufactured at other angles.

Outlet Tube aka Drop

A metal sleeve inserted into the cut hole of a gutter which allows a downspout to be attached.

Nut Driver

A small metal attachment to a drill that holds speed screws to connect aluminum parts together.

Pipe Bands aka Straps

Thin metal strips, usually aluminum, used to fasten the downspout to the building structure.

Pitch

The act of installing gutters higher at the midpoint between downspouts and gradually lower towards the downspouts so the water flows.

PVC

Poly-vinyl Chloride, a material from which inferior gutters are made.

Pipe Bands aka Straps

Thin metal strips, usually aluminum, used to fasten the downspout to the building structure.

Pitch

The act of installing gutters higher at the midpoint between downspouts and gradually lower towards the downspouts so the water flows.

PVC

Poly-vinyl Chloride, a material from which inferior gutters are made.

Residential

Refers to gutter & downspout sizes commonly used on homes. Gutters are 5" wide measured from the top of the gutter from front to back and downspouts are rectangular, measuring 2"x3"

Sealant

Erroneously referred to a 'caulk', it can be made of urethane or rubber and applied to the mating surfaces of gutter materials with a caulk gun.

Seamless

Really a misnomer, since a single piece of gutter cannot bend around a corner. Refers to one straight section of gutter being installed with no joints.

Soffit

The underside of the roof edge, also called eaves, usually wood or aluminum.

Speed Screws aka Zip Screws

Small, usually aluminum, screws used to attach gutters, downspouts and accessories. They commonly have a 1/4" head and require a nut driver attached to a drill to drive them in.

Spike & Ferrule

The spike is the long nail used to secure gutters through the front lip, through the rear of the gutter and into the fascia board while the ferrule is the hollow tube through which the spike is passed. Proved inferior to brackets because the spikes kept working loose.