The Quality of the Work Matters As Much as the View From Below
The eaves trough industry made a step change when it introduced seamless aluminum gutter systems. Machine manufacture brought a new level of precision, that made assembly more straightforward.
So straightforward in fact, that some folk concluded they no longer needed a professional installer. Quite a few asked us for help later after they spoiled a length of gutter, while installing gutter drop tube outlets that did not align properly.
Plan Carefully, Measure Twice, Cut Once
Seamless aluminum gutter materials do not come cheap, and you can’t put back what you removed. You also cannot undo a cut in the material. Our customers tell us we take a while to get started, before everything comes together in couple of hours.
The secret sauce that flavors our success is the care we take up front. We plan everything extra carefully, and measure twice because we only have an opportunity to cut the aluminum once. This is particularly true of gutter drop tube outlets.
We illustrate the principles in our image at the top of the page. Gutter drop tube outlets form a bridge between horizontal gutters, and vertical down pipes in an eaves trough system.
We have to figure out first where the pipes are going to go, because they have to align with the holes we punch in the gutters before we put them up. We could easily spoil the job if we get this wrong, although we are proud to say this has not happened yet.
Our Procedure for Installing Gutter Drop Tube Outlets
- Decide where the down pipes are going to go. Mark these positions with chalk or tape.
- Measure the width from one end of where the gutter will go, across to the other point.
- Extrude a single length of gutter that exactly matches the dimension between these points.
- Install the invisible hangers in the gutter length. This provides rigidity that increases stability.
- Measure on site where down pipes will connect. Punch out holes for the gutter drop tube outlets.
- Fit the gutter drop tubes in position. Follow the steps to complete the eaves trough installation.
A Few Reasons to Request a Free Quote From Us
- We have drop tube-hole punches to match both standard down pipe sizes.
- We seal our outlets into the gutters, after firmly attaching them in position.
- Some competitors cut an “X” in the gutter, and attach the pipe to the folded-down tabs.
- This short-cut often leaks, and annoyingly drips on people standing below
We’ll never do things like that at Valiant Exteriors. The quality of the work matters to us as much as the view from below, which is invariably top notch.
More Information
Best Hanger Brackets for Gutters
Why Gutter Hangar Space Always Counts
K-Style Gutter Drop Tube Outlet (Stilfehler BY CC 4.0 Share Alike)