How to Install an Alternative to Gutters | Ask This Old House
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ค. 2018
- Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva installs an alternative to a gutter when a traditional one does not work.
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Time: 2 hours
Cost: $50
Skill Level: Beginner
Tools List for Installing Gutter Alternatives:
Ladder [amzn.to/2zxIWcW]
Hammer [amzn.to/2NR7TIT]
Prybar [amzn.to/2NFD9KB]
Drill driver [amzn.to/2ZB9WCN]
Measuring tape [amzn.to/2zyXmcI]
Shopping List:
Aluminum rain dispersal system [amzn.to/2NFqR4U]
Steps:
1. Remove the old gutter by prying off the spikes with a hammer and a prybar. Then, unscrew the gutter from the fascia with the drill driver.
2. Mark 10” from the end of the house, then 30” from the end of the house, then 50” from the end.
3. Screw the mounting brackets on your marks as far down the fascia board as possible. It should be at least 4” down from the roof edge and 1 _” from the drip edge.
4. Clip the louvres on the rain dispersal system into the brackets.
5. Repeat the process as necessary to cover the whole side of the house.
Resources:
In most circumstances, traditional style gutters are the most effective at diverting water as far away from structures as possible, but they also require a downspout in order to redirect that water. In cases where large sections of roof require a gutter and there is no good place for a downspout, a rain dispersal system can be a viable option.
Tom installed a white aluminum rain dispersal system, manufactured by Rainhandler (amzn.to/2NFqR4U). The system comes with screws, brackets, and extenders if the fascia board is too short.
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How to Install an Alternative to Gutters | Ask This Old House
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Best info about this video is about leaving a gap between the drip edge and fascia board.
The gutter is easily installed behind the drip edge and then no way water gets to the facia. On the low end where the gutter needs to drain you can’t have it high enough to be up under the drip edge…… so add an 8’ or so stick of flat flashing to close that gap. Better yet just have a 4” drip edge and the gutter can be behind the drip edge the entire length of the slope. It’s really not difficult to install a gutter system that works optimally. We’ve done it here in Atlanta for 20 years. The only problems one should have if they had professional gutter men install the job is what cover system works best to keep enough debris out so as to prevent that 3x4 outlet from clogging up. And that’s a different answer for each house. How many trees, what kinds of trees, rooflines, valleys etc etc
About 25 years ago My father installed these on our family home. They did essentially nothing we had ice issues where the rain fell, pine needles got caught and had to be removed by hand. They also accumulated mold that was next to impossible to get off completely with a powerwasher without actual scrubbing
"Boy I don't know Tommy" ... that pretty much sums it up.
Exactly! Kevin was singing my song when they cut to him.
Haha haha
So that's like an annoying / leaking / over flowing gutter that splashes at you the entire length of the roof. Fantastic.
I really enjoy watching these. I've learnt that there are differing types of screws!
I did this several years ago. Seemed like a good idea -- no more plugged gutters and other issues related to gutters. Did it along my bedroom wall as an experiment. Initially, it seemed to work OK. Ish... Then over time I noticed what I had initially suspected might happen -- any wind blew the water and any detritus back onto the wall; the entire wall and window became spattered with runoff residue. And, equally irritating, I happen to have a couple huge maple trees in my yard. The space between the louvers is a hair-shy of the thickness of many maple seeds, and the thing began plugging up with maple seeds and seed raceme brackets, among other stuff. Back to gutters...
IMO This is actually worse than nothing. With nothing at least most of the water, etc. falls directly to the ground. With a proper gravel splash zone the siding is protected from the majority of the water that hits the ground.
I don't have gutters. Yeah-the roof runoff blows wherever it wants, but generally, it drips straight down and into a dripline-just a pounded out area. But I have low and wide rancher eves and a hipped roof, allowing lower shed on all 4 sides, versus heavy shed on 2. I am only single story as well. We freeze solid all winter too, so ice-damming is a threat. I just let the icicles hang and slowly melt with 1 inch overhang for them to cling to.
This makes so much sense. You probably just saved me a fortune. Thank you!
I learned about surface tension, and the need of a gap to disrupt the flow of surface water. Tips like these are worth the uncertainty of the product.
I love this product! I also bought their screen door attachment for my fridge!
Haha
Hmm. I wonder if that screen door option would work on my personal submarine.
Lol
@@whiteknightcat just add flex seal.
Max Chill - I’m going to install a screen door on my microwave oven.
What I do is pour a 3’ wide sidewalk around the building, and build the roof with eaves that overhang the walls by 3’-4”. Then trench around the edge of the sidewalk and fill it with gravel. 1” of drop across the 3’ of the sidewalk assures that any water that blows or splashes onto the sidewalk runs off. The sidewalk keeps the foundation and sills dry. You have a mud free walkway around the whole building which makes cleaning, grass cutting, and painting or other maintenance very easy, especially if the building is a house with windows that need to be cleaned. It is really nice to be able to walk around your house without having to walk through wet grass. Any shrubs get planted outside the sidewalk but appear to be next to the building in street view.
great idea. always noticed that traditional buildings over in asia, china, and japan,
always had a roof that extended out a good couple feet beyond the walls of the building,
and never any type of gutters on these buildings. perhaps this is the reason for the extended roof line on these traditional buildings, houses, etc. great idea.
This is what I now want to do. I considered making some type of a sidewalk out of flagstones but this is a better idea. Thank you!!
As a former house painter, I learned to hate gutters. Always in disrepair, trapping water behind them, rotting fascia boards, wrecking the paint, causing ice dams, etc. Best solutions I saw were the few houses that skipped them altogether and instead just dealt with the water on the ground. Proper slopes, drainage beds with gravel and plastic drain tile tubes, pavers or cement that diverted water away from the foundation, and so on.
Interesting.
Hmm makes sense, but still prefer clean gutters and a ladder...
I really don't believe gutters are necessary, and they likely cause more damage to a house than not having them at all.
@@briand6671can you explain
No gutters ruined my driveway
I have had "Rain Handler product" on my house for at least 20 years. I saw a demo on "This Old House". Excellent product. I have removed it to spray my cedar fascia board and removed it to place Hardi Board 1 year ago. It goes back up real easy. I put up a string as a guide, pre-drilled holes and screwed it to the fascia board. No splashing back on the house and no eating a trench on the ground.
For such a small garage, and not having many options for the downspout (without having to dig) it seems fine. I have a detached garage and this seems like a fine solution for the side facing away from our house. Not the other side because I have a walkway directly underneath
I have a friend at work who I will forward this video to. Her husband has tried everything besides doing a proper job (gutters). This might be the next scheme he tries before ripping it all off and wondering what went wrong.
What a great idea if you like a wet perimeter. Maybe catch the water and bring it in through a window to the bathtub
Tom bryan
. Brilliant! Tommy is feeling threatened by your comment...
I never thought that I would dislike a this old house video.
No matter how the water hits the ground, in small drops or big drops, the volume is the same, and its heading to a point lower, which just might be your foundation.
The ground around all homes is supposed to be graded away from the home. This is probably code for all new construction these days If not one should make sure it is. The purpose of the handler it to get away from one's home.
He said they had good slope down and away for the water to drain. Meaning that this product would work. Though it does feel like somebody tried to reinvent the wheel
Thanks for alerting me to this product! Now I know to never use it.
JonnyBMK hahaha you scumbag
lol
My thoughts exactly lol
JonnyBMK . Brilliant. ..I will use that line in future 😆😆
yea, it basically allows the water to fall to the ground, soaking foundation and yard...at least with gutters I can duct my rainwater to my pond, etc
'
I solved my fascia board problems by going to a metal fab shop and having a "L" shaped piece made to go under the metal drip edge and completely cover the fascia. They had choices of color as well. No more rotting fascia.
Oh wow I am trying to imagine how this looks and how I can do this. Will you make a TH-cam?
I guess it's good for tight areas but I still prefer a gutter system, even though I may have to clean them. Thanks for showing another option.
My husband and I love your videos. They are always good, well explanatory. Good teaching tool for us as homeowners. Thanks a lot.
i hope you dont use any of what this show tells you as its mostly garbage....
I have seldom seen a product that is such a fantastic example of a product designer coming up with a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
Ben Clarkson well, they installed it here because of the problem that did exist so...
he means a problem that doesn't exist as in a product made to replace a traditional gutter system. read between the lines.
Hahahaha now that’s funny. Made my day.
2#
Turns rain into raindrops
You're twisting Tom's words, he did not say turns rain into raindrops, he said "it takes the water coming down and turns it into raindrops". The rain has already fallen on the roof.
@@wahoospa1 but when did it stop being raindrops in the first place?
😂😂🤣🤣
@@Iburn247 It stopped being rain when it hit the roof, merged with all the other raindrops, and turned into a sheet of moving water. The product turns the sheet of water back into rain. So basically, it helps you play God.
C'mon it's funny...turns rain into raindrops
Great informative video! I could watch this guy all day!
Me too when it comes to construction, but not in the gutter protection business. This item is a joke and Tommy should never have presented it for consideration!!!
Seems like wind could easily counter everything that louvre is doing.
You are right when it rains 95% 0f the time the wind will not allow the water to just drop it will get blasted against the side wall . I have seen heaps of houses in the tropics with no gutters because it just comes down far to heavy .
Around here, a good thunderstorm will have that gimmick flying towards the next county.
Always us rebar re-inforced concrete.
Yeah, where I live this will not work. We get high winds due to the area and this will not do the trick.
@@ChristianConservativ Really? I would have never known wow!
"I thought about moving the downspout to the driveway but the rainfall with winter and the ice." But when you look at the house you see a downspout leading straight to the driveway like what do you mean!!!
scripted
duh...... it only rains on his garage in the winter, it's snow by the time it gets over to his house
Throughout the install, you can tell that even the homeowner is unsure of this solution. haha
Brandon White at the end you can see “well that was a waste of time”
He was just happy to have free work done and be on TV. I bet he replaces it himself.
Even Tommy looks doubtful. "I feel so dirty for recommending it..."
Looks like a douche.
@@juliof970 I have heard they make you sign over that they are in control of your project. You pay for the materials. On the large home renovations, and the homeowners get pulled into spending a lot more then they thought!
It's all a matter of trade offs, if you well sealed basement walls or ground sloping away from your foundation and you hate cleaning gutters, you will love it. I have mine for 20 years and over my concrete drive way sloping sown to the street, its been great.
All the fun of laughing at Sky Mall products without the inconvenience of flying, thanks guys!
For all of you skeptics and doubters who have already commented on this, I do not recommend this in most applications if any, trust me I know first hand. They do nothing in heavy rainfall and if you have maple trees with seeds forget it. I will give some props to the company (probably sponsored this segment): in business 27 years, made in USA, made from a recyclable material aluminum. I just replaced a 13-foot roof section I should have done years ago and the gutter, pipe, elbows were still cheaper than this. Silva is spot on about the drip edge as he has mentioned this many times before, keep it at least a 1/4-inch off the fascia.
That gap between the drip edge and fascia will mean water inside your house if you have damming in your gutter in the winter. You can say "well, fix the damming", but that is not always possible on every house. I know this because that is what happened on one side of my house where the drip edge is about a whole inch away from the fascia.
that isnt drip edge....its called rake edge
Thanks This Old House for highlighting another New England problem which I'll never have to worry about it the arid west where I live! We are saving every drop to put into mulch basins surrounded by perennials over here and meanwhile out east you are playing with spurious new products to play with the rain.
The guy that does all the work is like the dad I never had. He knows a tremendous amount.
Riz Khan
. Well Riz...In this case...sometimes no advice is better than bad advice...These are POS...read the comments and learn what should have been done to that garage...Sad really!
Best comment section in a long time
I didn't know The Onion had a Home Improvement section.
Lol!
This only helps if you have a sloping driveway. The water will just sit on the side. The point with gutters is to channel it away from your foundation.
Had this on my doublewide in VT for over18 years.
Also learned about surface tension of water and window installation builds
This is the first video I've seen where I feel like the home owner was very skeptical of Tom.
its definitely the first time I’m skeptical of him.
Me too!!
Mike Holmes wouldn't be caught dead installing these.
Neither would I.
Love the information! Thanks!
Great tips maybe not the best concept for Florida. I’m gunna have to check my facia spacing before hurricane season
A good placed gutter is much better.
The other issue is snow freezing on these louvre systems. Tommy knows his stuff and he wouldn’t use a product that wasn’t worth it. But personally I’d lean more toward a gutter and get that water away from the area. I would imagine it also makes weeds grow faster I don’t like this product but I have a lot of respect for Tommy he’s awesome.
Hi Tommy always we learning from you thanks .
You guys are amazingly knowledgeable people
Thanks Man. You're cute too. 😘
If Im the homeowner, I would be like..."What are you doing? I thought we'll be fixing the gutter not installing a louvre?"
Tom is smart. In a few months he'll have a "how to build a new garage" segment.
Theepan Vr
Under rated comment lol
I've used Rainhandler before in the Gulf South. Works as intended. Not as good as an immaculately maintained and perfectly functioning gutter. Vastly better than the typically clogged, leaky and imperfectly hung gutters most homeowners actually have, at least down here where snow isn't a consideration.
Really interesting approach. As you guys say, goes against what we've been told for years, but it's a cool solution to this scenario
No it's not.
Didn’t the home owner say he didn’t want the water in that area or am I missing something... way to listen Tom
That drill looked like it was struggling to drive those screws lmao
My background in fluid mechanics allows me to identify this product is around 80% 20 weight snake oil.
Only two things[maybe a third] will properly handle the runoff, First is of course proper gutters and downspouts(best ending in a drainage pipe or collection basin) Second is a proper width overhang, like 18-24 inches for that eve height.(unfortunately block headed local zoning and building rules tend to encourage close to zero overhang)
The potential third option is actually vertical louvers right at ground level to eliminate splashing but that isn't a good use of area and still doesn't address moderate windblown runoff and rain.
Interesting alternative.
So now I need to install a French drain, thats crazy.
won't it still pose a problem when the water freezes on the ground?
Generic guy still don’t get how that helps the side with pavement
Generic guy if it was me I would just route all the water through gutters on to the side with grass and let the water pool on the grass with one downspout in the grass side... like block off the side that had cement on in it and reroute it it’s so much more smarter
i thought it poses a problem if its raining and you walk between the house and garage. you could get a free shower that way.
yes, also note that he also mentioned you could also put drainage in the ground?. or i have an idea just install spouting with a down-pipe!
If you want to make it a proper job, you find the nearest sewer pipe and tap into that. Or even more green: Buy a rain water storage tank and use it to water the garden and flush the toilet with it.
Comments are all dead on, hilarious and well deserved- what a dopey product - loved the comment about the screen door attachment for the fridge my son and I were howling with that one
We had wood rot under the back bedroom because the downspout was fed under the overhang from the roof and down the side of the exterior wall, with nothing to lead the water away from the house. 80yrs later I moved the downspout to the other end of room and attached a tube to carry the rain away from the house. The rot was so bad that the entire room sagged two inches and we had to completely remove the old wood floor, subfloor, cross member joists and the 2/12x around and under the walls. From then I covered the dirt floor with think plastic tarp so ground moisture wouldn't decay the wood over time. Where were you guys when I needed you most?
I watch the show last week where he was putting these on and trust me they don't make sense to me at all
1:17 "you want me to get some tools so...."
"Nah... I've changed my mind. I'll just do it myself!" hehe
1:20 “ Alright Greg ever seen anything like this before? “ Never
“...🤔 me either I’m just going to call this As Seen On Tv contraption a gutterless gutter
Seems like could be nice, i'm tired of gutters and stuff all freezing up and turning into blocks of ice and ice dams, this seem like would be better, but not sure. I honestly thought I remembered it shooting the water out sideways farther. If it could send it a few feet that would be fine, this just looks stupid. Think heat tape and old gutters may be a better bet. This may be fine on a slab building like a garage, etc. Seems to help break up at least some of it.
Is there a bracket for the older facia board where there is a square cut instead of a plumb cut or when there is crown molding?
That guy took those things off the shed as soon as Tommy was around the corner.
That's a terrible solution.
I agree
John if it was me I would just route all the water through gutters on to the side with grass and let the water pool on the grass with one downspout in the grass side... like block off the side that had cement on in it and reroute it it’s so much more smarter
This type of product and others similar to it have been on the market for years.
You can tell by looking around at houses in you neighborhood and seeing that nobody has them up on their house that the product is bogus!
Can you imagine having your existing gutters and spouts removed to put this product up, then finding out it doesn't work, then you have to pay again for new gutters and downspouts.
Ouch!!!!
looks like shit too
Is what John's mother said when his father yanked off his condom.
Some city codes will not allow the use of rain handlers on new constructions, however DIY after.
There’s just no stopping you is there Tommy! You guys must be heading into spring I guess. Enjoy.
He's a monster! Totally on a rampage.
I've enjoyed the episodes you've done Tom, but this one makes me question your expertise.
And now makes me think twice about the pass episodes and what was just BS to sell a product.
I think some gutters and a dry well in the back yard might be a better option in this case.
Tommy is the MAN! Next of kin to Moses... magically directing water and whatnot.
In the winter ice will build up and weight down those flimsy louvers. I've seen them break right off. And then leaves get trapped and defeat their purpose. Gutters, a diverter and 55G rain barrels for watering your plants. Crushed rock next to the garage for drainage.
The siding on the shed seems to be Vinyl and the Sill is probably concrete. I say let it splash!!!!
Yea... what will are
You talking about? The wooden sill plate? Or a window sill?
They hired Howdy-Doody to host the show?
Never doubt Tommy
Been in construction since 1984 and I got to tell you this is the first time I've ever seen anything like that.. got my doubts..lol
Burning the garage down would've been a better solution.
I've tried this before on a one story section of my home for a year... And I am underwelmed. It doesn't toss the water far enough away from the wall. I still get backsplash.
Sure it breaks up the water... It doesn't clog... But it doesn't do anything useful either.
Do you have one of those old and really tall antenna towers? You can try buying a big kite and attaching it to that.
Peter Petrakis i hope you replaced it with gutters.
It's quite a cheap fix. Install it, then replace it once you have the funds to install proper drainage. It is good for a couple of years when money's tight, but I agree, it's not a good permanent solution.
That's really awesome I'll be offering this to customers and be putting this on my work shop thanks for this Tommie thumbs up my friends
I wish Tom Silvia was my dad or grandfather. He's so cool.
"Hey, I have some concerns about water coming off my shed roof and flooding my basement because there is no drainage. And the gutters are falling apart. What can you do about that?"
"Alright well, I hear your concerns but; I'm going to install a "gutter-less rain gutter" that's going to take all that rain water and direct it right into your basement."
Jesus christ...
Malik Enterprise ...Exactly what I heard also, homeowners Problem is water laying then seeping into the basement! A DRAINAGE problem. Eyeyeyey!!!
Let's see how that ends up when it gets a foot of snow on top of it
There would never be a foot of snow on it there are slots the whole length and width of the gutter so the snow would fall through actually making it a lot lighter then an average gutter which is 2 to 3 inch's deep. So really a normal gutter is more likely to fill with snow get so heavy that it breaks then this one Tom installed could. (Granite if the traditional gutter was installed properly it shouldn't fall off due to all that snow anyhow.)
Yeah well I've been doing this for 20 years and you're posting from a government phone so I'll only assume that you don't know what you're talking about
@government phone I'm pretty sure if the guy in this video actually knew what he was talking about he'd have his own business. But it doesn't
@@tinocorreia4001 He actually does have his own business it's called the Silva brothers and he has been doing this for at least 35 years. And doing what for 20 years? I didn't say anything except that the snow would fall threw the opening making it lighter then the average gutter. And also don't judge people by a name I didn't judge you by yours
@@governmentphone7933 yeah ok government phone, Tom Silva isn't a gutter installer and doesn't have a gutter company so get your facts straight.
If you have to put in a French drain and the louver then it would be more cost effective and less labor intensive to install new vinyl gutters.
This old house I love watching your shows and I learn a lot from it. I need gutters at home. Could you recommend a good contractor or help me install it. Thanks
This seemed more like a tutorial what not to do. I hope the paid product endorsement offsets the credibility damage.
Yep, getting water away from the foundation and siding can help prevent damage to the structure but I wouldn't recommend this as an option. Imagine the debris build up on there. There are many reasons we stand behind LeafGuard, one of the biggest reasons is not having to ever get on a ladder again.
Watched this because the title sounded ridiculous and I was not disappointed 😂
It works pretty well in Las Vegas!
I put this on my house I built 15 years ago and it mostly did a good job. Heavy rains would just shoot off especially at the valleys but since that wasn't all that often it didn't do any damage to the ground. It did dig a small line where it would still drip for any rain before grass got established. The cool thing in the winter (Kansas City) it would leave these awesome long icicles all around the house that reminded me of the John McClane in Die hard 2 scene. th-cam.com/video/JdgFpPKxal0/w-d-xo.html
I.... I don't understand the pros of this product over the standard gutter. I do, however, understand the cons.
So..... What's the point?
Gutters get plugged with leaves and garbage, have to be cleaned. His garage being one story that should be no problem
The point is you ask to many questions. These are great products. Now send me your credit card number. That will be $199.
Wow, that's gonna be fun to clean out...
Got me remembering a lesson I learned and have not thought about in a long time . p.s. I don't like the loovers
My real question is how this handles snow, it seemed PRETTY flimsy
Allen DeWitt
Not made for that zone. Best used in the deserts like Arizona and such
I can't bring myself to dislike the video, but not a huge fan of this solution
What about flower beds that are close to the foundation
So what happens in the winter time when the ice accumulates on the edge of the roof and falls down and it’s the louvers?
Would this work during heavy rainfalls?
55098 no it wouldnt the wind would push the rain to the walls.
Tommy even guesses as much in his demonstration at the end. Guesses ? So he didn't even try or research the product before fobbing it off on this homeowner ? And that rainfall head on the hose isn't like what I'd call a heavy rain anyway. And sure enough it goes shooting out past the louver until it slows down to a trickle. So much better than no gutter (sarcasm)
This doesn't even work in a sun shower.
@@herbeenc8042 Yep the same way it would push the rain from the sky.
Sean M. Yes!...They do a great job of having your wife and kids leave you even if the first rain fall is a gentle mist.
Next evolution is a heated Louvre that turns rain into micro-raindrops, similar to steam.
Next one after that is an electrified louvre that separates the water into hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis. Rain never even makes it to the ground!
I buried my downspouts with 4-inch corrugated pipe and run them 30 feet to the street where they each terminate at a 9-inch catch basin (could have ended w/ a pop-up but I like the catch basin better, the water just overflows and runs down the street). The city requires a 10-foot set back from the street. I'm right at the street; they haven't cited me yet.
Seemingly the best and easiest solution would be to run the downspout across the back at an angle to the other side.
When is Tommy going to get a real set of drills? This festool drill can barely get a screw in.
Embarrassing...push real hard!
I can't even count how many of these we've removed from a house to install seamless gutters. Nothing can compare to a properly installed gutter system.
Siphonic drainage system? 😃
I see those DIY Home Depot sectional gutters a lot. I don't think I've ever seen these in my area.
This Old House can you tell me if this is going to work in the winter? Will this was Stan snow piling up on it? Because if I can't get to it in time I don't want to damage in my house what are your thoughts on this?
Could this be something that could be installed at a slight angle to direct water toward the lateral edges of the gutter?