Metal roof gutters - do-it-yourself installation in 6 stages

Hello. This time you will learn how to install roof gutters. Despite the fact that the range of drainage systems is wide, in this article I will focus on the installation instructions for metal systems.

Interest in metal gutters is not accidental. Firstly, such systems are more durable than plastic, as they can withstand high mechanical loads. And secondly, metal products are easier to find on sale.

An important point is not only to organize a drain from the roof, but also to divert water along the sidewalk with high quality. To do this, use a concrete gutter, which is presented in a wide range on the website of the manufacturer GAMMAPLIT. You can study the products in detail at the link.

Components for assembling and installing a drain

Roof drainage systems are multi-component prefabricated structures in which each element performs a specific function. What elements of the roof drain will be required for a high-quality assembly of the existing system?

The complete set of modern roof drainage systems includes the following items:

• gutter - a longitudinally split pipe running along the entire facade;
• Slip-on plate retainer with a rubber or polymer gasket - used to connect the joints of adjacent gutters;
• Corner - corner connection of the gutter, which is used in order to bypass the external or internal corner of the junction of the walls;
• Stub - a semicircular cover, which is put on the end cut of the gutter at the end of the system;
• Gutter holders - hardware, made in the form of a hook with perforation, for fastening along the edge of the roof;
• Graduation funnel - an inverted cone, which is put on a tie-in in the gutter and provides a hermetic fastening to the drain;
• downpipe - a pipe with a vertical arrangement, through which drains from the upper elements of the system go down;
• Knee - a connecting element, through which bends are made on the downpipe;
• Gutter holders - metal clamping clamps, which pipe fixed on the wall;
• Mounting hardware (self-tapping screws, self-tapping screws with press washers, dowel-nails, etc.) - are selected in accordance with the type of mounting surface.

The calculation of the required number of pipes and gutters, as well as other components, is carried out taking into account the following points:

• Gutter holders - installed in increments of 50 to 90 cm.
• For each holder there are at least two self-tapping screws or similar hardware, selected in accordance with the type of mounting surface;
• The number of outlet funnels corresponds to the number of vertical outlets;
• Based on the throughput, one funnel should receive runoff from no more than 10 linear meters of a gutter or from 100 m² of an inclined roof surface;
• Plugs are installed at the beginning and at the end of the gutter system;
• At the remaining (intermediate) joints, lamellar clamps are used;
• Pipe holders are located at a distance of no more than 1.5-2 meters from each other.

Sealant is required to install the plug. Attention - we do not use ordinary sanitary silicone in tubes, but a special roofing sealant, durable and resistant to temperature changes.

How to do the installation yourself

Standard installation of gutters consists of the following steps:

1. Installation of gutter hooks;
2. Installation of funnels on the gutter;
3. Installation of plugs on the gutter;
4. Installation of gutters;
5. Installation of connectors and corners;
6. Installation of waste vertical pipes.

The listed steps are performed in this sequence.We proceed with the installation of a metal drain only after the system diagram is ready and after the necessary components are prepared in the right amount.

For installation work, you will need the following tools:

• Hacksaw for metal;
• Scissors for metal;
• Pliers;
• Hammer;
• Rubber mallet for driving plugs;
• Screwdriver;
• Level and other measuring tool;
• Long strong cord;
• Stable ladder or prefabricated scaffolding.

Stage 1: installation of holders

Holders are mounted:

1. Before laying roofing material rafters a private house or on a cornice board;
2. On a finished roof.

In the first case, we use long hooks.

Their installation instructions are as follows:

• Cutouts are made on the roofing board to a depth equal to the thickness of the perforated part of the holder;
• A hook is inserted into the pot so that its surface is flush with the surface of the rafter board;

• The holder is attached with 2-3 screws.

In the event that the roofing cake is already formed, short hooks are used. Short holders with the help of 2-3 self-tapping screws are attached to the frontal board.

Personal opinion: in any case, I recommend using short hooks. First, they are cheaper. Secondly, you do not need to waste time bending them. Thirdly, in the event of a repair, the short hook can simply be removed, while to dismantle the long holder, you will have to dismantle the roofing material from the roof with your own hands.

How to ensure an intensive flow of water in the system? It's time to ask this question during the fastening of the holders, since it is they who will set the slope of the gutter.

To ensure good flow, you need to set the holders with a slope of 5 mm per linear meter of the gutter. It is not advisable to withstand a larger slope, since the finished system will look uneven and sloppy.

The installation instructions for hooks with a slope are as follows:

• We measure the distance from the intended installation point of the first and last hook;
• We consider the difference between these points based on the level difference of 5 mm per linear meter;

For example, if the total length of the gutter is 10 meters, then the difference between the first and last hook will be 50 mm. Such a bias on the finished system will be almost imperceptible, but this difference will be enough so that the water does not stagnate.

• We fix the first and last holder in accordance with the calculated difference in level;
• Between the fixed hooks, tightly so that there are no sagging, we pull the cord;

• We fasten the intermediate hooks along the cord so that they come into contact with the stretched cord with exactly the same parts as the extreme hooks.

So, the hooks are installed and the cord can be removed. What should we get?

The edge of the roofing material should hang over the hook, and subsequently over the installed gutter, by no more than 1/3 of the width of the holder. As a result, melt water and precipitation will fall into the drain, and will not overflow.

If you draw an imaginary line as a continuation of the roof overhang, the difference between the top point of the hook and this line should be 30-40 mm. If you lower the hook lower, the water will overflow over the edge. If the hook is raised higher, the sliding snow will clog the gutter.

Stage 2: installation of funnels

Funnel installation is performed as follows:

• We determine the location of vertical drains and their number;
• On the gutter we make the appropriate marks;

• Using scissors for metal or a special drill with a nozzle, we drill through holes with a diameter of 100-110 mm;

• We flare the edges of the hole with pliers, bending the metal towards the installation of the funnel;
• We apply the funnel to the gutter, catching with the rolled edge;

• From the second edge of the funnel, we bend the latch inside the gutter, so as to obtain the most durable fastening.

In some modifications of the drainage system, the funnel lock is bent, and in some it snaps into place. There is no fundamental difference in the quality of the finished result, it’s just that products with a clamp are easier to use, but the price of such devices is higher.

This completes the funnel installation. In the case of the correct implementation of this stage, the funnels on the gutter will be located with clips directed outward - from the wall.

Stage 3: installation of the plug

The plugs on the end of the gutter are the same - both for installation on the right and for installation on the left.

In expensive Finnish systems, the plugs are supplied with a rubber seal, which is inserted into a specially provided groove and provides sufficient tightness. If the plug is difficult to put on the seat, you can tap on the contour with a rubber mallet.

If a seal is not provided in the purchased system, a thick strip of sealant is applied to the part of the plug that will be in contact with the gutter. When putting on the plug, the gutter will be imprinted into the sealant and, as a result, it will be possible to count on a tight, but not the most durable connection.

If a seal is inserted into the cavity of the plug, the result will be much more reliable. Moreover, a strip of roofing bituminous sealant is applied from the inside.

Let me remind you right away that the sealant fits well only on previously dust-free dry surfaces.

After applying a bead of sealant, simply smooth it out with your finger. Such a sealant will last for decades, despite the fact that it will not be visible from the outside, and it will not spoil the appearance of the finished system.

Stage 4: installation of gutters

Installation of the drainage system on already installed holders is carried out as follows:

• We calculate how many pieces of the gutter will go to the wall, taking into account the fact that the length of one piece is 3 meters;

It is advisable to insert the piece where the funnel is installed as a whole, and cut those pieces that will not be subjected to mechanical load during subsequent installation.

• We take an extreme piece with a plug and install it in the holders with the inner edge;

• We press on the outer edge and the gutter is installed in the hooks;

Despite some differences in the drains presented for sale, they snap into the holders in a similar way. The difference may lie in the force that will have to be applied to the gutter.

• At the junction of two gutters, a special latch with a rubber gasket is installed - a lock;

The lock is wound by a bend on the inner edge of the gutter, and on the outside it is latched with a clip.

• For greater tightness, the joint from the inside of the gutter is treated with sealant, as well as when installing the plug;

Try to apply the sealant flush with the metal surface so that the water flows freely in the direction of the funnel.

This completes the installation of the roof drain, and you can start working with the knee and vertical drain.

Stage 5 and 6: installation of the elbow and vertical outlet

After the gutter is installed in the funnel, insert the knee by turning it towards the wall. We bring the other knee to the wall, as shown in the photo, at a distance of about 6-7 cm. This distance will be enough to install a standard holder on the wall.

Next, you need to measure the distance between the two knees as accurately as possible. We add 8 cm to the resulting number - 4 cm from each edge of the pipe, which will connect the two knees.

After the pipe is cut off, insert it, as shown in the photo. Only in this position there will be no gaps between the pipes through which water will flow.

Next, we measure the length of the vertical pipe, taking into account the fact that in the lower and upper parts it will be fixed on the knees. That is, the total length of the pipe should be 8 cm longer than the calculated distance, so that the pipe is put on the knee from above, and enters it at the bottom.

Another point - the wall can be higher than 3 meters, in which case the drain is made up of two pieces.

You can connect two pieces of pipe by pushing the usual narrow edge into the socket. To make it easier to do this, we bend the end of the pipe and, after that, insert it into the socket.

All connections on the vertical drain are reinforced with a fixing bracket clamp. The brackets are installed in such a way that they intercept the drain not directly at the junction, but about 10 cm below.

Answers to frequently asked questions

1. How to strengthen metal gutters?

The fastening of metal gutters, in itself, is strong, and even a heavy snow load is unlikely to bend the holders if they are installed 60 cm apart.

However, if the roofing material is metal tile or corrugated board, then additional fastening can be made, as shown in the photo.

Strips of metal are cut from the remains of the pipe. On the one hand, the strip is fastened with a rivet to the roof, and on the other hand, with a rivet to the gutter. If such an extension is installed on each holder, the system will withstand any snow load.

2. At what height from the ground or blind area should the lower knee be located?

In order to prevent water from splashing, the height of the drain hole from the surface of the blind area should be 20-30 cm. If the drain elbow is placed above the storm sewer grate, the distance can be reduced to 10 cm.

3. How to snap the gutter into a tight holder and not scratch it?

If the gutter has a polymer coating, between it and the holder, at the moment of pressing, I recommend inserting a flat metal spatula. The holder on the spatula, as if on guides, will go into place and will not leave scratches.

4. Which metal drainage systems are better - galvanized or polymer-coated?

Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, galvanized steel products are less durable than polymer-coated counterparts, but their price is also lower. On the other hand, products covered with plastic look better. By the way, the durability of a polymer-coated metal gutter will drastically decrease in areas where this coating is scratched or rubbed.

5. What and how to cut pipes?

It would seem that he took the grinder to work, but everything is not so simple. Modern gutters can only be cut with a hacksaw or special scissors. Why can't you use a grinder?

Cutting with a grinder increases the temperature of the metal, which leads to the burnout of the anti-corrosion layer near the cut line. If you work with polymer-coated pipes, a thin layer of plastic at a distance of up to 5 cm from the cut line will move away from the metal, which again will cause corrosion.

Conclusion

Now you know how to install a modern metal gutter with your own hands using a simple and affordable tool. If you have any questions that I did not explain in the instructions, write about it in the comments, I will definitely give the necessary explanations. In addition, I recommend watching the video in this article - I'm sure it will be useful to you.

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