The method of installation of gutters is critical.
Everyone knows that the potential lifetime of a gutter system is directly linked to the quality of the material, but few people are aware that this is only the first step to proper gutter installation.
First and foremost, you need to look at the fascia the gutter will be attached to. It is important that the fascia is a high quality material, be it wood, metal or some type of synthetic. Individual lengths of gutter may be light, but the average home may have up to 300 linear feet of gutter system and that adds up quickly. Poor quality fascia will degrade and eventually separate from trusses much more quickly than a higher quality product. Additionally, fasteners will come loose more quickly over time using poor quality fascia.
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At the same time, make sure that screws are always used to attach the gutters, and not nails. The weight of the gutters, combined with the expansion and contraction of the fascia, will cause nails to work their way out over time, causing sagging and eventual failure.
Over everything else however, the single most common reason for leaks in a gutter system is a lack of expansion joints. We all know that materials naturally expand and contract with the change of the seasons, however we have found that few installers remember this critical piece of the gutter system. By installing expansion joints every thirty feet (a minimum of one between each corner) this natural expansion and contraction no longer becomes a problem.
Finally, a common misconception is that gutters need to be sloped in order to drain properly. This simply is not the case. A level gutter with proper drain spouts is just as effective as installing on a slope, not to mention that a level gutter also looks better on your home or business.
