I have been Installing Rain Gutters on homes for over 15 years now and I noticed there there was a need for an in depth guide on How To Install Gutters so I made this website. I will go through the process of what you will need and how you hang rain gutters on your home.

There are many different types of rain gutters and to begin I would like to talk about installing 5 or 6 inch aluminum gutters. In the U.S. This is the two most common sizes that are being installed on residential homes today. Aluminum is the most effective system for the cost over the long term but can be more expensive than plastic in the short run.

First I will go over what tools and equipment you will need to begin. This is a great project for the do it yourself type but it will take some time to learn how to install gutters the right way.

1. Cordless Electric Drill (18 v Lithium Ion is recommended) x 1 per worker

   

   18v Lithium Ion Drill And Large and Small Tin Snips

2. Tool Pouch with a drill holster and a few extra pouches.  x 1 per worker
3. 1.5 ” zinc plated screws (to resist rust)  x 1 for every 1-3 feet depending on personal preference and local weather conditions.
4. Hack Saw With a blade made to cut metal
5. Pair of Tin Snips ( One large pair and one smaller pair for precision cuts is best)
6. Series1500 Hidden Hangers and Series 3100 Hidden hangers x 1 hanger of each type for every 3-6 feet of gutter you have
7. A Ladder that you feel comfortable working on
8. A helper if you have any pieces over twenty five feet that you have to hang (it is also nice to have a helper even if all your pieces are short pieces)
9. Measuring Tapes (1 stiff tape used to get exact measurements of the roof line and used when building your downspouts and one 100 ‘ metal measuring tape if you have any long gutter pieces.)
10. Miter Saw (optional)

This How To Install Gutters Guide will assume you called around and priced having someone come out to your property and run our the gutter and leave it for you to hang. (If you have not follow the steps in this guide up to ordering material and then call around and price this out) This can be negotiated for a lot less than having the gutters installed so while there will be some up front expense to you it will get you seamless rain gutters which are far superior to gutter that comes in sections.

The first thing you want to do is figure out where you want to have your rain gutters installed at. Most people want to gutter over their entry way or over their garage. The obvious places to gutter include anywhere that causes water to dump on you when you are entering or leaving your house.

Rain Gutters are also commonly used to help prevent washout and to direct rainfall runoff. It is important to only gutter areas that will actually have water run off. Some people will gutter areas that are slanted at such an angle that no water comes down from the area when it rains. This often looks very bad and serves no purpose so try to avoid this.

The Gutter is mounted directly underneath your shingles or up to a couple of inches below your roof line depending on what type of roof you have. If your house has a 1×2 ( a small piece of wood mounted at the top of your fascia all the way around your house ) You will need to decide if you want to hang your gutter on top of it or underneath it. Most people think it is easier to hang the gutter below the 1×2 since there will be less problem with your gutter sagging if you hang it here.

Now that you know where you want to install your gutters its time to figure out how many feet you will need. But first you will need to sketch out a drawing of your home’s fascia. Just go out and look at where you would like to install gutters and draw it out on a piece of paper.

Once you have your picture drawn out measure each piece to the nearest 1/4″ and your corners will match up perfectly. After you have all your pieces measured it is time to decide where your downspouts should go. If you want to be safe include one over 20 feet. Use your head on this if your house has a very large amount of roof all funneling into a very small piece of gutter then you may need more than one downspout on it. You can always add downspouts at a later date if you need to. Most downspouts come in 10′ sections so keep this is mind when you are adding up how many you need.

OK now you know where your downspouts are and how many there are. Now you need to count how many corners you will need to install your gutters right. Make sure you count the inside corners and the outside corners as you will need to differentiate these when you order your material.

Now it is time to add up all of your gutter footage. You will need to add up your corners as well and make sure you keep count of how many of your corners are inside corners and how many are outside corners.

You will also need to know how many right and left end caps you will need. Every spot that your gutter will “end” or butt up against another part of your home you will need an endcap. You will also need an end cap if you are guttering only to one corner of your house and then stopping. If you are facing the gutter and it is on the right side you need it that is a right end cap and vice versa.
Now call around and price out what this would cost to have this product delivered and fabricated at your house.  If you have decided that this, how to install gutters guide, is too much work this will be a great time to have them quote how much it would be to have them do the work. (I would not ask for this quote until after you have gotten the quote to have them deliver it for you to install)

Now you will need to cut your corners on the pieces you had delivered. Make sure you have them add a foot to each outside corner you will need to cut as it shortens the gutter where you have to make these cuts.

Follow Miter Saw Instructions

Gutter Hanger Spacing – If you are wanting to learn how to install gutters using a 5 inch system I would recommend hangers every 3 feet.

If you are wanting to learn how to install gutters using a 6 inch system I would recommend hidden hangers every 2 feet.

With a partner on one end of a piece of gutter and you in the middle of the gutter holding most of the weight have him spot where the gutter should fit on the house. Then use the 1 and 1/2 inch zinc plated screws with washer and attach the gutter where you decided to mount it.

Now you will need to Install the miters. Make sure you keep the corners flush to the gutter and use two screws in the back from the inside of the gutter, two screws on the front near the top and two underneath the gutter on the middle of the sides.

Now you just need to pop your holes and hook up your downspouts and your done Learning how to Install your rain gutters.

There are a few different ways to make the holes in your gutter but I will go over the cheapest one here. You can buy a hole saw that will fit into your power drill at home depot or lowes or any large hardware store. You can then just drill a hole where you would to place your downpouts. Check with the person you will be buying your gutter supplies from to see what size inserts they sell. You will use these inserts to slide down into the hole you just drilled and then you will screw you downspout into the insert.  (Pictures to come)

For securing my downspouts into brick, mortar, stucco, or rock I prefer to pre-drill the hole and use Tapcon screws. The size screw you use is up to you but I recommend you use a screw that is over 1 inch long.  If you are securing your gutter to wood you can use the same 1 and 1/2 inch screws you used to secure your gutters. In most cases these screws will be much cheaper than the Tapcon screws. (Pictures to come)