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Gutters Glossary: Terms Can Be Confusing
In the course of your conversation with a contractor, you may hear certain terms used in connection with gutter systems and your home's roof. Following is an alphabetical glossary of terms you may encounter and what they mean:
A pipe that carries rainwater from a roof gutter down to a drain
or to the ground.
A system of drainpipes and gutters that carry water away from a house's foundation.
Prevents water from washing over the fascia eventually causing it to rot. If your fascia boards have black streaks on them, that usually means that the drip-edge is failing and the contractor may suggest adding an extension for an additional charge.
Piece of gutter that provides the hole through which water travels from the gutter to the drainpipes or storage tanks.
The lower edge of a sloped roof.
An extra layer of roofing applied at the eaves to prevent water damage in case of back-up.
Any gutter attached to an eave overhang.
If there is any fascia board that is angled to follow the roof
rafters, there is usually an extra charge.
The flat horizontal surface right below the edge of a roof.
New gutters need a solid fascia surface upon which to be
mounted. If rotted boards need to be replaced, there is a charge per linear feet.
Fascia boards narrower than 3" in width must be built out to provide proper support
for hanging your new gutters and require additional charge per linear feet.
The triangular end of a home between the eaves and the ridgeline of the roof.
Refers to the thickness of a gutter. The gauges range from .019 to .032 inches. The optimal gauge for gutter is .032 inches.
A trough that catches and channels water from the eaves to the downspouts.
A flat strap of material that is applied under the roofing material in order to hold the gutter in place.
Any pipe that carries water from the gutters to the ground, sewer or to a well.
A linear foot is the same as regular
feet. It is a one-foot length of any long, narrow object. No conversion is necessary.
If something is 6 linear feet tall, it is 6 feet tall. That just means when measuring
linear feet, contractors are not taking the width into account. If you bought
100 linear feet of gutter, laying them down end to end would stretch for 100
feet, it wouldn't matter how wide the gutters were.
When a company fabricates the corners onsite using the same
material as the rest of the house, the advantage is that there is one seam instead
of three and it's a cleaner look overall.
The height (in stories) at which each gutter run will be located
(1st story, 2nd story etc.). This is used to determine the length of downspout
needed.
Any small stretch of gutter applied to the upper side of a chimney.
The underside space between the end of the roof and the side of a home, often vented to provide circulation to the attic.
The bottom, internal surface of a run of gutter.
A metal cylinder or tube placed inside the gutter to prevent it from bending.
Any concrete or plastic surface placed at the bottom of a downspout to direct water away from the house and foundation.
Unit of measure in roofing that refers to 100 square feet.
Hangars used to attach the downspout to the wall of a house.
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