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Rain gutter
 
 
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A rain gutter (also known as eaves trough, eaves channel guttering or simply as a gutter) is a narrow channel, or trough, forming the component of a roof
Roof

A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
 system which collects and diverts rainwater shed by the roof.

The main purpose of a rain gutter is to protect a building's foundation by channeling water away from its base. They also help to reduce erosion, prevent leaks in basements and crawlspaces, protect painted surfaces by reducing exposure to water, and provide a means to collect rainwater for later use.

Rain gutters can be constructed from a variety of materials, including galvanised steel, painted steel
Steel

Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.14% by weight , depending on grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten....
, copper
Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity....
, painted aluminium, PVC
Polyvinyl chloride

Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is the third most widely used thermoplastic polymer after polyethylene and polypropylene....
 (and other plastics), concrete
Concrete

Concrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, construction aggregate , water , and Chemistry admixtures....
, stone
Rock (geology)

In geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock....
 and wood
Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
.

Water collected by a rain gutter is fed, usually via a downspout, from the roof edge to the base of the building where it is either discharged or collected.






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Encyclopedia


A rain gutter (also known as eaves trough, eaves channel guttering or simply as a gutter) is a narrow channel, or trough, forming the component of a roof
Roof

A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
 system which collects and diverts rainwater shed by the roof.

The main purpose of a rain gutter is to protect a building's foundation by channeling water away from its base. They also help to reduce erosion, prevent leaks in basements and crawlspaces, protect painted surfaces by reducing exposure to water, and provide a means to collect rainwater for later use.

Rain gutters can be constructed from a variety of materials, including galvanised steel, painted steel
Steel

Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.14% by weight , depending on grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten....
, copper
Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity....
, painted aluminium, PVC
Polyvinyl chloride

Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is the third most widely used thermoplastic polymer after polyethylene and polypropylene....
 (and other plastics), concrete
Concrete

Concrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, construction aggregate , water , and Chemistry admixtures....
, stone
Rock (geology)

In geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock....
 and wood
Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
.

Water collected by a rain gutter is fed, usually via a downspout, from the roof edge to the base of the building where it is either discharged or collected. A collection system strategy for water carried from rain gutters may include of one of the following: a rainwater tank
Rainwater tank

A rainwater tank is a water tank which is used to collect and store rain water surface runoff, typically from rooftops via rain gutters. Rainwater tanks are devices for collecting and maintaining harvested rain....
, a balancing lake
Balancing lake

A balancing lake is an element of an urban drainage system used to control flooding by temporarily storing flood waters. The term balancing pond is also used, though typically for smaller storage facilities for streams and brooks....
 or a cistern
Cistern

A cistern is a receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Often cisterns are built to catch and store rainwater. They range in capacity from a few litres to thousands of cubic metres ....
.

Types of gutters

Different styles of gutter, known as profiles, are produced.

A box gutter is a deep gutter which is concealed within the structure of the roof.

A popular variety of rain gutter is "Seamless". This product is created, on site, in long individual lengths of gutter to suit roof edge conditions, thereby reducing seams along the length of the gutter. Seamless gutters are available in various shapes, sizes, and finishes.

Rain gutters can be equipped with gutter screens, louvers or solid hoods to allow water from the roof to flow through, while reducing passage of roof debris into the gutter.

Precautions

Clogged gutters can cause water leakage into the house as the water backs up. Clogged gutters can also lead to stagnant water build up which allows mosquitoes to breed and also allow grasses and weeds to grow in the gutter.

Gutters in colder climates also suffer the effects of freezing. However this can be mitigated through the use of heating cables placed in the trays that become activated in freezing weather.

See also


  • Chantlate
    Chantlate

    In architecture, a chantlate is a piece of wood fastened near the ends of the rafters, and projecting beyond the wall, to support two or three rows of tiles, so placed to prevent rain water from trickling down the sides of the wall....
  • Cornice
    Cornice

    The term cornice comes from Italian cornice, meaning ?ledge.?Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding which crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal....
  • Rain chain
    Rain chain

    Rain chains are alternatives to the downspout component in a traditional rain gutter system. They are widely used in Japan. Their purpose is largely decorative, to make a water feature out of the transport of rainwater from the guttering downwards to a drain or to a storage container....


External links

  • in 1911 Britannica
  • on seamless vs traditional gutters
  • on installing a rain gutter
  • on cleaning and maintaining gutters