Fixing new roof guttering
The obvious first step is to assemble the various bits and pieces you need, and you can use the old guttering system as a model to decide what’s required. It’s best to measure up the length of the guttering itself, allowing a little extra to be safe.
At the end of the run furthest from the downpipe, fix a gutter support bracket as high up the fascia as possible, and about 150mm (6in) from the end. The fixings here, and elsewhere, are made with 25mm (1 in) screws. Choose ones that are galvanised to stop them rusting.
Insert a nail into the fascia board level with the bottom bracket. . At the other end of the run, 150mm from the downpipe, fix another nail, tie a length of string tightly between the two, and use a spirit level to check that this string is level. When it is, lower the second nail by the amount needed to ensure that the guttering runs downhill towards the outlet.
This ‘fall’, as it’s called, varies according to the type of guttering, so check the manufacturer’s recommendations. Usually, it is in the region of 5mm for every metre of gutter run. Once you’ve found the right line for the gutter, fix another bracket level with the lowest nail. The next job is to fix the next bracket 1m (39in) from the one at the downpipe end of the run, using the string as a guide to set it at the correct level. Use these two brackets to support a length of gutter with the downpipe outlet attached.
Exactly how you join the gutter to the outlet – or indeed make any other joins in the guttering – will vary from brand to brand. With some, you slip the ends of the components into a special jointing piece called a union, and clip the whole lot together. With others, one of the components will have a union built into its end. Now work your way along, building up the gutter run as you go and adding additional support brackets as required, again using the string as a guide.
In most cases, you will need a bracket every metre, plus one on each side of every join – though some ranges contain combined unions and support brackets. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations. The only problem you may run into is when you have to cut the guttering to length, either to go round a corner, or to finish the run with a stop end. Do the cutting on the ground using a hacksaw, making sure that you cut the end square. Any roughness left by the saw should be cleaned up with a file.
If you want to turn a corner, fix the corner piece before cutting the straight piece of gutter to length. You can then use it to work out exactly how long the straight gutter length needs to be. When cutting to finish at a stop end, it is usual to leave about 50mm (2in) of gutter projecting beyond the ends of the fascia. When you’ve finished the job and checked to see that all the joints are properly connected, take a bucket of water to the highest point of the gutter and pour it down. If the gutter doesn’t drain all the water then go back and check your work.