The Gutter Industry Standards - Home Rain Gutters
- 5" aluminum gutter with baked-on enamel paint finish.
The material is .027" thick. - 6" gutter is also available and carries 60% more water. (.027)
- 3X4" downspouts are the standard. (.019)
- 2X3" downspouts are available, but carry ¼ of the water of a 3X4 spout. (.019)
- 4X5" commercial grade downspouts are available and carry 3.5 times the water of a 3X4"downspout. (.027)
Our Standards
Any company can run material out of a gutter machine.
It is after the gutter is made that the company must apply their own standards to the installation process.
We Offer:
- Free Advise and Expertise on what is best for your house
- Integrity
- Warranty on the product
- Warranty for the Workmanship
- Time in business and Customer Service
- General Liability and Workers Compensation Insurance
Listed below are the standards that we have developed since 1978. Let our experience help you make an informed decision regarding the purchase and investment of your new gutter system.
Our Process
We begin by preparing your home, which often takes as long as the installation process. Good preparation is the key to installing a quality and long lasting gutter system.
Examples
If your home has a 1X2" shingle mold, we install another 1X2" board below it. This added 1X2 will be painted on the bottom to match the gutters. The board supports the gutter and keeps it from sagging and pulling loose from your home. If you do not have the added 1X2 support behind the gutter, it could eventually cause damage to your home.
If your home has existing eve strip flashing, the gutter must be installed behind it. This keeps water from getting behind the gutter and damaging the house. This requires that we pull the flashing out so we can slide the gutter behind it.
If your home does not have the eve strip flashing, we may need to install it. There are several factors to consider when determining if the gutter system requires flashing. The length of your shingles and the pitch of your roof are the most critical factors.
Installation
When installing the gutter we use hidden hangers and screws placed on approximately 28" centers. Hidden hangers are superior to spikes (big nails) for several reasons:
- They do not split the fascia board and pull out of the wood.
- They are hidden so the gutter looks much nicer and the curb appeal of your house isn't adversely affected.
- They allow us to adjust the gutter to drain properly.
We place our hangers on approximately 28" centers rather than 4' centers, which some manufacturers recommend. We have found that this works much better as our rains can be extreme at times. We design our systems with that in mind.
Gutter Drainage
We check the gutter to make sure it drains properly. We use a level on normal runs. On longer runs or trouble areas, we put water in the gutter and adjust as needed. Then, we make sure the water flows to the downspout; if water will run to the downspout, then it will work in a heavy rain.
We use the very best caulking made especially for gutters. It is called Roscoe Permaseal. We have used this caulking for 33 years. Based on our experience, we are convinced that it prevents leaks.
Adding the Downspout
We hand-cut our downspout outlets. This allows the downspout to carry the maximum amount of water. Pre-manufactured outlets are designed to make the installer's job easier and faster; however, using them can cause you to lose 30 to 300% of your downspout capacity, depending on which style outlet you used. The downspout is the most important part of the gutter system. If you cannot get the water out of the gutter fast enough, your system will not work properly and you risk damage to your home.
Maintenance-Free Gutters?
We Can Help!
Are you tired of the time and hassle it takes to keep your home's guttering clear of leaves, junk and debris in order for it to be effective as possible. The answer for you may be LeafProof® Maintenance Free Gutters.
Except in areas where the roof line has concentrated water flow (such as an inside valley), water flowing off the roof does not shoot to the front of the gutter. It simply follows the roof line, on to the drip edge which is under the shingles, and down the back of the gutter. But when the water flow reaches LeafProof's® water channel, the water flow reverses and drains into the gutter.
There are other gutter covers on the market that work in a similar manner. However, these gutter covers do not have LeafProof's® patented "S" bend. This means these covers must be installed under the second row of shingles and are often screwed or nailed into the roof.
Jenkins Gutter Service can install maintenance-free Leaf Proof Gutters for you!
CLICK HERE for more information on LeafProof® Gutters!