Synopsis: Remodeler Andrew Grace walks through the process of hanging half-round gutters, from locating the hangers in the right spots depending on the roof pitch, to hanging and joining the sections, to laying out and connecting the downspouts. Detailed drawings give tips for proper hanger and downspout layout.

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It’s tough to improve upon the timeless look of half-round gutters. They were a natural fit for a 1919 farmhouse and garage we recently worked on. Although half-round gutters are also available in galvanized steel (least expensive) and copper (most expensive), my client chose aluminum, which is rust-free and more reasonably priced than copper. The 0.032-in.-thick aluminum gutters on the project are 6 in. wide with a durable, factory-applied finish.

Installing half-round gutters is a little more complicated than installing more conventional K-style gutters because the hangers are visible, so they must be evenly spaced and perfectly straight or the finished product will look terrible. This article, which covers an entire gutter and downspout installation, focuses on the tips and tricks that make the process faster and easier.

The first thing to keep in mind when you’re planning a gutter project is that a 5-in. half-round gutter can handle about half as much water as a 5-in. K-style gutter, so you need more downspouts or a larger gutter, and sometimes both. Proper sizing takes into account the roof dimensions and slope, as well as the heaviest rainfall you can expect for the project location. The gutter manufacturer we used, Berger Building Products, has helpful sizing information for both gutters and downspouts on their website (bergerbp.com). Labor and materials for this project came in at about $10 per ft.

The steps in the installation process include:

• Get the hangers in the right spot
• Hang and join the sections
• Prep for the downspouts
• Connect the downspouts

 

For photos and details on these steps, click the View PDF button below:

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