The Materials List for a Gutter Installation

• Gutters do an important job. Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images

  The word "gutter" does not have the best associations. "Gutter press" refers to tawdry journalism. "In the gutter" means to fall into a degraded condition. A "guttersnipe" is an ill-bred person. But gutters themselves belie these associations and do a great job for us, collecting, taking away and recycling all the water that falls on our roofs. Home Depot advises that vinyl is easier to use than metal but whichever type you use, the same general parts are required.

Gutters

• The main thing you need are the gutters, which are the lengths of concave plastic or metal fixed in place below the roof to catch the rain. You will find them in home centers and hardware stores made from exterior grade vinyl, steel or aluminum in various lengths. The most popular style is 5-inch wide "K style," also called ogee. White and brown are the usual colors but you can also buy gutters unpainted. More exotic colors including Brandy Wine, Forest Green and Sea Breeze are available at specialist stores.

Joints

• You will need joints, such as a corner mitre, to send your gutters around the corners of your roof. You will find these are available for inside and outside corners, usually at a 90 degree angle. You may need to have custom corner mitre made for angles other than 90 degrees. To join two lengths of gutter to make a longer piece, use seamers or slip joint connectors.

Downspouts

• You will need downspouts, sometimes called leaders, to carry the rainwater from the gutters to the drains or to ground. These are circular, square or oblong in shape. As a general rule, use one downspout for every 20 feet of gutter.

Elbows

• You may need elbows to direct the water collected in your gutters to your downspouts, depending on the relative positions of each. You may also need elbows on the ends of your downspouts to take water to the drains or otherwise away from the house foundations. Use front or "A" elbows to join the gutter to the downspout. Use side or "B" elbows to direct water right or left at the bottom of downspouts. Flex-elbows are also available and can be adjusted to work as front or side elbows as required.

Brackets, Hangers and End Caps

• In areas of high ice and snow, gutters need more support. icicles image by Stephen Gibson from Fotolia.com

  You will need brackets to secure your gutters to your fascia board. They come in various designs to suit different types of gutter. Use one every 2 feet for standard spacing. In areas of high ice and snow use one every 18 inches. You can use hidden hangers if you prefer concealed fixings or a screw or spike and ferrule instead of a bracket. If your house has no fascia board, you can use hidden hangers with roof straps. Fit end caps to the open ends of gutters to seal the gutter system.

Gutter Guard

• When leaves fall, many of them end up in gutters. leaves 1 image by michael luckett from Fotolia.com

  Gutter guard is an optional component. It is a metal or plastic mesh which sits at the top of your gutters to prevent leaves and other flying debris getting in. If you have ever had to clean out gutters, removing a slurry of rotting leaves to allow rainwater to flow properly again, you will probably want to seriously consider adding gutter guard to your gutter installation.