The Best of Two Ways to Fasten Gutters to Fascias

On the face of it, installing eaves trough gutters in Calgary is the simplest of jobs. The gutters come seamlessly out of a machine, while the bends and downpipes are pre-assembled. When the householder comes back from work they are delighted with what they see.

But they don’t climb up on the roof to examine the gutters from the top. They almost never do. There are many so-called roofing, guttering, fascia and soffit ‘experts’ in Calgary who take advantage of this fact. We wrote this post so you know what to insist on before accepting a quote.

 

Different Methods of Fastening Gutters

 

calgary gutters
Widely, Spaced Damaged Vinyl Hangers

Gutter installers in frost-free zones simply screw the inside edge of gutters through the fascias to the extreme ends of rafters. This can be sufficient to withstand the weight of rainwater, provided the downpipes are clear and the water can flow freely away.

However, this attachment method provides no support to the outside edge of the gutter. If it packs with ice, then this outside edge can buckle, and permanently deform as the ice expands. The weight transfers to the inside edge of the gutter. A strong wind could tear it away.

A Calgary gutter installer should therefore bridge across the two sides of a length of gutter at various points, and use this bridge to attach the eavestrough system to the lower end of the rafter. This transforms the open trough into a rectangular structure that can withstand the elements. It also makes it safer to climb onto the roof for maintenance.

 

The Two Customary Ways of Fastening Gutters

 

calgary gutters
Gutter with Spikes and Ferrules

Attaching with Ferrules and Spikes – Ferrules are metal cylinders the length of the inside width of the gutter. A spike passes through the outer gutter, down the ferrule across the width, through the inner edge of the gutter, and into the bottom end of a rafter. This works for a while, although the nails do gradually work loose. This failing is one of the main reasons for sagging gutters in Calgary.

Attaching With Aluminum Hangars -We only use aluminum hangars to attach eaves troughs to fascias and rafters. These lock into position across the width, and screw into position. This method is a great improvement over ferrules and nails. Moreover the structurally stronger attachment cannot be seen when looking at the house from the ground.

calgary gutters
Closely Spaced Aluminum by Valiant ©

Gutter hangars are manufactured in aluminum, steel, and vinyl. We use aluminum because is is lightweight, strong when formed and can never rust. We quite often come across cracked vinyl hangers in the course of repairs or replacements. These may be spaced as much as four feet apart which is inadequate. We position ours between one-and-a-half and two-feet apart depending on the rafter spacing’s themselves.

Valiant Exteriors Inc. has a policy of never cutting corners. We always achieve the quality we insist on in our own homes. You may pay a little more for our high standards. However this should be less than the cost of a sub-standard gutter repair.

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