Tip: wind a little tape around the downspout end of the spirit level so that the bubble is Josh's "hair breadth off-level". Then you check the gutter is "level" (i.e. the bubble dead centre) at any point, knowing it has the fall built in.
I've had two installation services give me an estimate. Each suggested that manufacturers recommended 1/2" per 15 feet, which seems excessive. I have roof flashing that extends 2 inches below the roof line, and 1/2"/15' would put the gutter almost to the bottom of my facia board on one side of my home, and that fascia board is a 2"x8"! Your approach sounds more logical.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it be a lot easier to use a tube level? Set your high point, put in a nail, decide on the drop you want to use, go to the spout end and mark level, then put in a nail at the desired drop below that. Snap a line between the nails and you know exactly where any point on the gutter gets attached.
Thank you so much for this vid! I'm 6 jobs into my new gutter company and this was one of the things that I was struggling with. I thought that I needed a large drop but then I would run into the problem of being an inch or 2 below the drip edge. Lol. Needless to say I'm learning alot and you have been a huge help. Keep them coming!
@UCSEh6-xHg1gED8ZGaEPRbdw Thanks for the reply Rock. So i actually built a folding miter saw station that is attached to the machine. Its in perfect line with the run out of gutter and also spins to cut long DS. Its super slick! folds down when i need it and up when i'm done. I use it for 95% of all my cuts. perfect cuts every time at any angle or degree.
Good video. What if you live in an area where snow/ ice unfreezes for about 5 hours when it gets sunny and then rapidly freezes as soon as the sun start going down. Wouldn’t you want most every drop out of the gutters before that day melt turns into heavy ice on the gutters? My question, would it be better to give it a little more slope to help rid of all melt during the warm part of the day? It might be visible, but it’s about working in the way you need it for your area.
I install gutters also and use that exact same Stabila level also. Well worth the money. The vile is Incapsuled and can not move. Levels with exposed viles usually wiggle a bit. If your vile moves around in the slighted, it WILL NOT be accurate.
I'm hanging 20 ft gutter on my shed, and I'm thinking "I know there's a slope at least a 1/4" but this level is damn near perfectly level!" Thought I was doing a terrible job and now I have it pitched like crazy 🤪 this video makes me feel better though, that I was on the right track. Everything I googled said 1/4" to 1/2" per TEN FEET! 1/4" per forty ft is 1/16" per ten ft.
Great video! Quick Question, my house has a 70ft gutter run with 4 down spouts. The 2 middle downspouts drain way more than the outer spouts. Any recommendation on how to fix this?
I'm in the middle of doing gutters on my house, most runs are between 20 and 30ft in length. I cheaped out and got 16ft sections to join together instead of seamless, when I caulk the joint areas won't it create a pond/dam effect with such low pitch? Or is it negligible because the water will evaporate? I probably went a bit heavy with the caulk on a few of them with over a 1/4" bead.
I need to put a little more slope on my installs cause up in the Yukon , Canada we get like 20 feet or snow and ice and I cannot out my gutter that high up in the drip edge it’ll get ripped off unless I install guards but I also put my brackets 16” on centre
My fascia is not straight horizontal, are there spacers that I can use so that the gutters stay flat? I have vinyl and the hangers have adjustments for that, however now wanting the aluminum gutters but the aluminum hangers seem not to have an adjustment for this type of fascia. Help.
The hangers do not have ANY adjustment / if your fascia board has a slant you need to put wedges behind the gutters / if you do not the gutters WILL hang down a bit / I show 2 types of wedges on my website / 1 is installed if it does not snow in your area / and the other that I had to make with a break and install with 10 foot pieces are made for a snow load / and ANY of you Pros are welcome to copy my design / you can go to www.RainGuttersByRock.com to see both types of wedges / good luck ya all.
Yes sir. Where I live Dallas, TX, I embrace constructive criticism. Seeing is believing but I'm a multitasking fool, but I also have a very keen eye for detail. I can't wrap my head around so many people & their halfassed work. If I'm working on your vehicle or home it is going to look better than it originally did on your home & factory on your vehicle. My point is I do things the most efficient way for my multitasking brain & unless I see someone butchering something I don't care how they get it done. Yet I've been complimented on my work. with 0 complaint. But there is always someone who has to say let me show you how to do that. What they don't understand is my problem solving skills that already tried it that way & thought of 15 others until I find the 1 that fits my groove. Basically interrupting my work. Don't mean to dish, it took to many years to understand. Lots of unnecessary frustration. All that to say I'm genuinly asking how or where you snap the line if the top of the gutter goes under the flashing? No visibility. Cuz I'm all about a way for me. I just realized are you snapping for hangers? I'm so confused? Lol.
If installing 10' aluminum sections, will the gutter connector (clip between sections) clear the drip edge or are t hey to thick to slide under drip edge properly? Thanks! Love your videos, easy to follow and your presentation is perfect.
Hello, my name is Rock. Josh is one of the best Gutter Installers on TH-cam. I have even talked to Josh's Father on the phone, a real down-to-earth Man. I'm a Lic. Gutter Contractor in California since 1977 ( Lic. # 1000215 ) / One thing I would like to teach ALL of the installers out there / you ( DO NOT ) need a slope on a gutter / is what you need or ( have to do ) is keep the gutter ( LEVEL WITH THE EARTH ) this will work on ANY lenght on Gutter, even up to 100 feet / I have done it / and looked at the gutter one day when it rained / it works / once the water in the gutter gets up to 1/4 of an inch high / the water will find the downspout hole / no different than the pipes under a sink / the water goes down / then has to come up about 2 inches / and then drains / water WILL push water / This next part is for the Contractors that want to use the best-hidden hangers / the ones Josh is using on this video are not the best on the market / call US Aluminum 800-877-7026 and ask for the hangers Rock uses / I'm customer # ( F5207 ) and for ALL the Contractors that NEED the best hanger for a SNOW LOAD / call Lynch Aluminum 800-383-3231 and ask for a sample of the ( Heavy Duty Brute ) hanger / it comes in clip or no clip / Lynch never advertizes this hanger / it sales it's self / ANY other questions you new ( or any ) Gutter Contractors may have / you can reach me from my web site ( www.RainGuttersByRock.com ) Thanks
Amazing description of water flow dynamics, Mr. Science. It's not about getting water to drain out of a hole, it's about keeping small debris particles suspended in the flow instead of sinking to the bottom of the gutter. Let me see the result of your plumbing inspection after you've installed all your drain piping perfectly level. The slope of drain/waste pipe is specified at a certain angle for the same reason. Easier to get away with level gutters, as it's the customer who has to clean them out.
My gutters are fastened under the tile on the roof, there's no way to remove them without removing the tile on the roof. Any ideas on how to change the pitch?
I feel like that wouldn't be enough slope to accommodate any slight warping in the gutter. If there is some standing water because of this, wouldn't it cause issues in the winter time with ice dams and what not as well?
Good video. We had to remove our gutters to have some roof work done- which included new drip rails/ flashing so the old holes are covered up. This video helped understand how to re-slope the gutters. Question: Our downspouts go into buried drains so I'd like to keep debris out of them. Is there a recommended size for screen or mesh to use on the downspout hole? i.e. too fine and the water won't flow as fast, too course and it will allow larger debris to get through.
It will always block up. Your below grade should drain to daylight eventually. If you have bring it up to the surface anD cap it that's fine. Remember to flush its out with a hose from the end every year.
@@sparksmcgee6641 I use 1 inch galvanized chicken screen cut in a rectangular pattern to cover the bottom of the downspout opening on the gutter. Keeps the larger leaves from entering plumbed downspouts that could create a clogged drain on a closed downspout drain. Works for me!!
@@RickeyJosey why don't you just put a 90 at the end of the underground and drop a drain cap on it. Some stuff is getting past the screen and you're holding debris in the downspout with thw screen. Most people dont deal with there gutters until they're overloaded so I'd design for that to be the minimum standard.
@sparksmcgee6641 I didn't explain it clearly, the chicken screen is up top I just put it in the bottom of the gutter... Now, at the bottom of the downspout I have a pvc y with a drain cap in the y so I can flush it periodically down pipe drain.I have those at the bottom of all my downspouts for flushing purposes.
Lols clean surface all the way to the back, I can't tell you how many times I've had to correct "seasoned I've been doing this for years" gutter installers on this. Important take aways nothing is better than a level no measurement is realy relevant in residential applications. Great video perhaps one that stress the importance of center, high then low. Biggest issue now a days is getting installers to actually move their ladders between those points with out screwing multiple hangers off beforehand. All that creates is a bind in your "flexed gutter" over 12 ft long.
The Gutter that Josh is installing is called Box Gutter / a look that is getting bigger / people like it / good job Josh in getting a Box Gutter Machine / I know how much it co$t...
That's what I thought. I have a shed 16 feet and my slope is 1 1/4 and there is still around a 1/4" of water that lays in the gutter from about 1/2 way almost to the downspout. Maybe I did something wrong.
Congrats on leveling and putting behind drip edge! Most don't do these crucial steps! Still some flaws imo but there's more than 1 way to skin a cat they say lol
@@vyazovsky huh? we use them every day and if that's the case put the level underneath the gutter... so if u have a 70 ft piece you use a torpedo level?
I'm scratching my head during this video for the same reason. When he says "level", does he mean _LEVEL_ ? Or is he using the level to pitch the gutter? I'm so confused...
There is absolutely no reason to slope a gutter. Gutters should be installed perfectly level. Sunce the downspout cutout is at the bottom of the gutter, the depth of the water in the gutter will never exceed about one eighth of an inch.
You’re right in a way but you forget….. when you’re working for a company. Nobody has time to put a level on every fascia board that a gutter would be on. Especially when customers are anal about where the downspout could be( even more so if it’s a run in the front of the house) Over years the house will settle especially in the Midwest. So yeah sometimes gutters will be pitched just like if the fascia board is warped too. You’re the reason why when we do takedowns, we’re covered in water, dirt, bugs, and shingle cock dust.
You could also ask why are bathtubs, sinks, shower basins, floors, driveways, roads, etc. sloped for drainage? For rain gutters, having some positive flow toward the downspout helps to wash away small debris. Otherwise, it can accumulate and result in dams or blockages.
You basically want the gutters slightly sloped towards where you want them to drain, if they are level, then they won't flow towards the drain quick enough as it rains.
@@johnthree1611 Quick enough? Are you afraid the amount of rain will exceed the capacity of the gutter? Having the gutter on the same plain with the eave (level) looks a hundred times better and functions just as well as giving it fall. So basically... you're clueless.
Im a gutter installer, finally someone who knows how to do it!! Ive been doing it for over 10 years.
just wanted to say thank you. that 1/4 inch drop per 40ft saved my whole diy project.
By far the best place on the internet if you want to learn gutters. Thank you!
Tip: wind a little tape around the downspout end of the spirit level so that the bubble is Josh's "hair breadth off-level". Then you check the gutter is "level" (i.e. the bubble dead centre) at any point, knowing it has the fall built in.
I've had two installation services give me an estimate. Each suggested that manufacturers recommended 1/2" per 15 feet, which seems excessive. I have roof flashing that extends 2 inches below the roof line, and 1/2"/15' would put the gutter almost to the bottom of my facia board on one side of my home, and that fascia board is a 2"x8"! Your approach sounds more logical.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it be a lot easier to use a tube level? Set your high point, put in a nail, decide on the drop you want to use, go to the spout end and mark level, then put in a nail at the desired drop below that. Snap a line between the nails and you know exactly where any point on the gutter gets attached.
Thank you so much for this vid! I'm 6 jobs into my new gutter company and this was one of the things that I was struggling with. I thought that I needed a large drop but then I would run into the problem of being an inch or 2 below the drip edge. Lol. Needless to say I'm learning alot and you have been a huge help. Keep them coming!
So happy to hear you are finding the content helpful!! Any other topics you would like to see a video on?
@@StartARainGutterBusiness
How about pros and cons of a miter saw, hand cut miters or saw. Maybe some more tips for the solo installer.
@UCSEh6-xHg1gED8ZGaEPRbdw Thanks for the reply Rock. So i actually built a folding miter saw station that is attached to the machine. Its in perfect line with the run out of gutter and also spins to cut long DS. Its super slick! folds down when i need it and up when i'm done. I use it for 95% of all my cuts. perfect cuts every time at any angle or degree.
Good video. What if you live in an area where snow/ ice unfreezes for about 5 hours when it gets sunny and then rapidly freezes as soon as the sun start going down. Wouldn’t you want most every drop out of the gutters before that day melt turns into heavy ice on the gutters?
My question, would it be better to give it a little more slope to help rid of all melt during the warm part of the day? It might be visible, but it’s about working in the way you need it for your area.
wife wants me to relevel the gutters on a house built in 66. this helped a lot! I already have the same level you used lol
Nice info and excellent explanation for the issues.
I install gutters also and use that exact same Stabila level also. Well worth the money. The vile is Incapsuled and can not move. Levels with exposed viles usually wiggle a bit. If your vile moves around in the slighted, it WILL NOT be accurate.
I'm hanging 20 ft gutter on my shed, and I'm thinking "I know there's a slope at least a 1/4" but this level is damn near perfectly level!" Thought I was doing a terrible job and now I have it pitched like crazy 🤪 this video makes me feel better though, that I was on the right track. Everything I googled said 1/4" to 1/2" per TEN FEET! 1/4" per forty ft is 1/16" per ten ft.
Same thing happened to me. 1/2 inch every 10 ft means less than 0.25° slope, it's too small for any DIY grade levels.
Great video! Quick Question, my house has a 70ft gutter run with 4 down spouts. The 2 middle downspouts drain way more than the outer spouts. Any recommendation on how to fix this?
I'm in the middle of doing gutters on my house, most runs are between 20 and 30ft in length. I cheaped out and got 16ft sections to join together instead of seamless, when I caulk the joint areas won't it create a pond/dam effect with such low pitch? Or is it negligible because the water will evaporate? I probably went a bit heavy with the caulk on a few of them with over a 1/4" bead.
It will evaporate. Even with seamless, the corner joints are glued and do the same thing
Nice sharing my friend
I need to put a little more slope on my installs cause up in the Yukon , Canada we get like 20 feet or snow and ice and I cannot out my gutter that high up in the drip edge it’ll get ripped off unless I install guards but I also put my brackets 16” on centre
Thanks for the video, very helpful.
My fascia is not straight horizontal, are there spacers that I can use so that the gutters stay flat? I have vinyl and the hangers have adjustments for that, however now wanting the aluminum gutters but the aluminum hangers seem not to have an adjustment for this type of fascia.
Help.
T-wedges from Truss MFG
The hangers do not have ANY adjustment / if your fascia board has a slant you need to put wedges behind the gutters / if you do not the gutters WILL hang down a bit / I show 2 types of wedges on my website / 1 is installed if it does not snow in your area / and the other that I had to make with a break and install with 10 foot pieces are made for a snow load / and ANY of you Pros are welcome to copy my design / you can go to www.RainGuttersByRock.com to see both types of wedges / good luck ya all.
How would you level a 46ft gutter that has a downspout at each end ?
I like to snap a line on the fascia. Prevents any unseen belly’s. I like to run H20 to make sure proper drainage.
Yes sir. Where I live Dallas, TX, I embrace constructive criticism. Seeing is believing but I'm a multitasking fool, but I also have a very keen eye for detail. I can't wrap my head around so many people & their halfassed work. If I'm working on your vehicle or home it is going to look better than it originally did on your home & factory on your vehicle. My point is I do things the most efficient way for my multitasking brain & unless I see someone butchering something I don't care how they get it done. Yet I've been complimented on my work. with 0 complaint. But there is always someone who has to say let me show you how to do that. What they don't understand is my problem solving skills that already tried it that way & thought of 15 others until I find the 1 that fits my groove. Basically interrupting my work. Don't mean to dish, it took to many years to understand. Lots of unnecessary frustration. All that to say I'm genuinly asking how or where you snap the line if the top of the gutter goes under the flashing? No visibility. Cuz I'm all about a way for me. I just realized are you snapping for hangers? I'm so confused? Lol.
Is this sarcastic or is that actual gutter vernacular? Cause I’m just as lost reading this comment as watching this video.
@@spencercase5370 Snap the line for the bottom edge of the gutter
If installing 10' aluminum sections, will the gutter connector (clip between sections) clear the drip edge or are t
hey to thick to slide under drip edge properly? Thanks! Love your videos, easy to follow and your presentation is perfect.
Why not use a 6’ level?
I use a little level a 4’ and 6’
Also I level the front to back of the gutters!
Killer video man!
Hello, my name is Rock. Josh is one of the best Gutter Installers on TH-cam. I have even talked to Josh's Father on the phone, a real down-to-earth Man. I'm a Lic. Gutter Contractor in California since 1977 ( Lic. # 1000215 ) / One thing I would like to teach ALL of the installers out there / you ( DO NOT ) need a slope on a gutter / is what you need or ( have to do ) is keep the gutter ( LEVEL WITH THE EARTH ) this will work on ANY lenght on Gutter, even up to 100 feet / I have done it / and looked at the gutter one day when it rained / it works / once the water in the gutter gets up to 1/4 of an inch high / the water will find the downspout hole / no different than the pipes under a sink / the water goes down / then has to come up about 2 inches / and then drains / water WILL push water / This next part is for the Contractors that want to use the best-hidden hangers / the ones Josh is using on this video are not the best on the market / call US Aluminum 800-877-7026 and ask for the hangers Rock uses / I'm customer # ( F5207 ) and for ALL the Contractors that NEED the best hanger for a SNOW LOAD / call Lynch Aluminum 800-383-3231 and ask for a sample of the ( Heavy Duty Brute ) hanger / it comes in clip or no clip / Lynch never advertizes this hanger / it sales it's self / ANY other questions you new ( or any ) Gutter Contractors may have / you can reach me from my web site ( www.RainGuttersByRock.com ) Thanks
YOU THE MAN ROCK! Solid advice
Amazing description of water flow dynamics, Mr. Science. It's not about getting water to drain out of a hole, it's about keeping small debris particles suspended in the flow instead of sinking to the bottom of the gutter. Let me see the result of your plumbing inspection after you've installed all your drain piping perfectly level. The slope of drain/waste pipe is specified at a certain angle for the same reason. Easier to get away with level gutters, as it's the customer who has to clean them out.
My gutters are fastened under the tile on the roof, there's no way to remove them without removing the tile on the roof. Any ideas on how to change the pitch?
I feel like that wouldn't be enough slope to accommodate any slight warping in the gutter. If there is some standing water because of this, wouldn't it cause issues in the winter time with ice dams and what not as well?
Good video. We had to remove our gutters to have some roof work done- which included new drip rails/ flashing so the old holes are covered up. This video helped understand how to re-slope the gutters. Question: Our downspouts go into buried drains so I'd like to keep debris out of them. Is there a recommended size for screen or mesh to use on the downspout hole? i.e. too fine and the water won't flow as fast, too course and it will allow larger debris to get through.
It will always block up. Your below grade should drain to daylight eventually. If you have bring it up to the surface anD cap it that's fine. Remember to flush its out with a hose from the end every year.
@@sparksmcgee6641 I use 1 inch galvanized chicken screen cut in a rectangular pattern to cover the bottom of the downspout opening on the gutter. Keeps the larger leaves from entering plumbed downspouts that could create a clogged drain on a closed downspout drain. Works for me!!
@@RickeyJosey why don't you just put a 90 at the end of the underground and drop a drain cap on it. Some stuff is getting past the screen and you're holding debris in the downspout with thw screen.
Most people dont deal with there gutters until they're overloaded so I'd design for that to be the minimum standard.
@sparksmcgee6641 I didn't explain it clearly, the chicken screen is up top I just put it in the bottom of the gutter... Now, at the bottom of the downspout I have a pvc y with a drain cap in the y so I can flush it periodically down pipe drain.I have those at the bottom of all my downspouts for flushing purposes.
Lols clean surface all the way to the back, I can't tell you how many times I've had to correct "seasoned I've been doing this for years" gutter installers on this. Important take aways nothing is better than a level no measurement is realy relevant in residential applications. Great video perhaps one that stress the importance of center, high then low. Biggest issue now a days is getting installers to actually move their ladders between those points with out screwing multiple hangers off beforehand. All that creates is a bind in your "flexed gutter" over 12 ft long.
why are there screws on the major ribs on the steel walls? and the screw line was run in the middle instead of right next to the rib..
How do you level is you have a inner corner miter with gutters coming off both sides?
Is normal than my gutters retaining some water like half inch?after rained and staying on it for days.
No
Hello
I noticed how high you put gutters so what do you do about snow and ice sliding off a steel roof
Buy and install snowgaurds
How far should the gutter be below the drip edge
The Gutter that Josh is installing is called Box Gutter / a look that is getting bigger / people like it / good job Josh in getting a Box Gutter Machine / I know how much it co$t...
Aren't gutters supposed to slope, ideally 1 inch per 16 feet, toward the drain spout if possible?
That's what I thought. I have a shed 16 feet and my slope is 1 1/4 and there is still around a 1/4" of water that lays in the gutter from about 1/2 way almost to the downspout. Maybe I did something wrong.
I Appreciate the info. Thank you.
Great video.
Under drip edge with slope and you never have leaks good flow
I need a new bubble for my level, any idea where I could buy one?
Gotta get it calibrated.
Please make a video for how to make this design gutter
th-cam.com/video/BMjXxZ1JZlI/w-d-xo.html Check out this video to see our machine that makes that type of gutter
Congrats on leveling and putting behind drip edge! Most don't do these crucial steps! Still some flaws imo but there's more than 1 way to skin a cat they say lol
Had a ol,man tell me long ago that water finds it's own level so I temp set it in a few places and put a little water in and watch how it runs
What’s better put the chuckling Lane
Why not use a 4 ft level? wouldnt it be faster since you would be leveling bigger sections? Or does it not matter
You cannot fit anything big into the gutter because of the hangers
@@vyazovsky huh? we use them every day and if that's the case put the level underneath the gutter... so if u have a 70 ft piece you use a torpedo level?
@@vyazovsky never have had an issue with that, and with my climate I live in I put in hangers every 15"
what do you mean by tack?
Place a screw in to “tack” that spot. It will be securing the gutter allowing you to work on it without holding it.
How much is the cost to do that?
Why would you want a level gutter. You have to slope it slightly towards the downspout.
I'm scratching my head during this video for the same reason. When he says "level", does he mean _LEVEL_ ? Or is he using the level to pitch the gutter? I'm so confused...
He's using the level to pitch the gutter.
Where is the level?
wouldnt you call it sloping the gutter ???
You don't want to "level" a gutter, you want to "pitch" a gutter.
Wishy Washy... no pun intended
You aren't leveling it you are pitching it level is +0-
Dude, you need to actually show how it's done, instead of flapping your gums.
Any installer using a level doesn't know what they're doing
@Jay Talbot a level gutter doesn't drain fast enough or properly. It needs at a MINIMUM 1/4 inch per 10ft
Any experienced gutter installer knows this.
There is absolutely no reason to slope a gutter. Gutters should be installed perfectly level. Sunce the downspout cutout is at the bottom of the gutter, the depth of the water in the gutter will never exceed about one eighth of an inch.
Yeah good luck getting a house to have a 100% perfectly level gutter. You’ll have dead spots right away.
You’re right in a way but you forget….. when you’re working for a company. Nobody has time to put a level on every fascia board that a gutter would be on. Especially when customers are anal about where the downspout could be( even more so if it’s a run in the front of the house) Over years the house will settle especially in the Midwest. So yeah sometimes gutters will be pitched just like if the fascia board is warped too. You’re the reason why when we do takedowns, we’re covered in water, dirt, bugs, and shingle cock dust.
You could also ask why are bathtubs, sinks, shower basins, floors, driveways, roads, etc. sloped for drainage? For rain gutters, having some positive flow toward the downspout helps to wash away small debris. Otherwise, it can accumulate and result in dams or blockages.
You basically want the gutters slightly sloped towards where you want them to drain, if they are level, then they won't flow towards the drain quick enough as it rains.
@@johnthree1611 Quick enough? Are you afraid the amount of rain will exceed the capacity of the gutter? Having the gutter on the same plain with the eave (level) looks a hundred times better and functions just as well as giving it fall. So basically... you're clueless.
Talk too much, no action!