Gutter Q: How strong is too strong?

18 years ago

Ok, so here's the story: Today, I'm up on my ladder which is sort of spiked into the sloping and icy first story porch roof installing new gutters on the second story fascia board on a 20F degree day in a thirty knot wind ..... (hey, it beats a dark and stormy night). And as I am intalling the last couple of umpteen brackets I start to think maybe I've made a serious mistake. Not, not that I shoulda done this is October; that's obvious. No, what I'm worrying about tonight is whether I've installed the brackets too well, and if we have a catastrophic failure it won't just be gutter crumpled on the ground, but fascia board and trim ....?

I live in northern NY, so I have significant snow slide issues, 9:12 roof pitch, Greek Revival, two-story slate roofed building facing south. This whole thing started with me finally getting the gumption to tear down the one-story full-facade porch. But first I had to change the gutters as they sloped towards the middle, right over the central door. (Have no clue why, but there it is). They were only in middling condition so it seemed like a good idea to replace them with new half-round. Fine so far: measured, calculated, bought, put together, consulted internet for info on pitch, support interval, etc,.

The new brackets (not nice like my old cast iron ones) have six screws apiece, and I selected nice beefy screws. Old gutter was supported every 36", or so, but that was sagging. Eighteen inches was frequently recommended for my area due to ice loads, but I decided on 24", sort of, as I wanted to make it eye sweet. Fascia board is 5/4 thick, and a generous, country, 160-year old, 5/4 at that. It's in fine condition, and well attached.

Anyhoo, I've installed all six screws in each bracket, but now I'm thinking it should have been a weaker joint so the gutter could tear away, and not take the whole mess down.

What do you think?

Molly~

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

kudzu9
18 years ago
What's your alternative: To mount them not very well so they fall off each year? I's not trying to be a smart-A, just thinking out loud about your choices. It sounds to me like the fascia boards are well-attached and I would expect them to handle the load. Did the fascia ever tear loose before?

If they do come off, that's a bummer, but it's God's way of telling you it's time to beef up the attachments or install new fascia boards. I'm gonna be the optimist and tell you I think it's fine. The only suggestion I have, if you're still nervous, is to ask: Is there any easy way to put a few more screws in where the fascia boards connect to the rafters or whatever they're attached to?
housekeeping
Original Author
18 years ago
Well, whatever happens they are all up now. (And getting the half-round sections to connect while up on ladders on said slippery roof was a whole circus in itself....)

Anyway, fast forward to big snow storm yesterday morning. (I worked until 3am to complete the installation beforehand.) All looks well last night after the storm, the downspouts had even started to run some. I went to sleep extremely pleased with myself.

When I awoke, I looked immediately out my window and saw ... drips and icicles! Curses, curses, and back up on the roof I go. The modern brackets hold the damned gutter farther off the fascia board than the old cast iron ones, and the melt from the roof is running down behind it. Obviously need a wider drip edge, but that's under my intact slate roof, so I'm not a happy girl tonight. It may be OK for rain (the drip edge does actually overhang the gutter), but when snow slides down and bridges the gap between the roof edge and the gutter on warmish days like today (all of 33F), the underside of the snow melts and drips down behind the gutter.

So back to the drawing board. My question about the strength was really centered on whether it would be better to have "break-away" screw strength, rather than tear on the fascia, but at this rate gravity will take the water behind the gutter, straight down the front of my house.

Phooey!

Molly~
Related Discussions
Contorted Jujube Root system - how invasive and strong is it?
Q
Comments (21)
Have 3 ('Li', 'Lang', and 'Sherwood'), getting on 10 years old in southern New Jersey, ordinary suburban fill soil, USDA Zone 6A. Sure, they send out lateral roots which sucker, (especially when they hit a sidewalk or street) but just prune to base periodically or mow over them. No problem unless you leave them a few years to get woody! And, jujube is perhaps the most trouble-free of my exotic fruit trees, no fungi, viruses, bacterial problems. An occasional fruit has a tiny borer worm (I pit and dry most of my fruit), that's about it. And greatly visited by small bees when in bloom! That, and harvest by gently shaking the trunks. What more could you want in a fruit tree? Although Chinese jujube are fine in moderate rainfall temperate climate, they really shine in desert conditions, just covered with huge, sweet fruit (have seen in Las Vegas and Tuscon). Other jujubes (spina-christi, mauritiana, etc.) better in hotter or tropical climes, I think.
...See More
Horse manure used, how strong? Do I mix it?
Q
Comments (2)
Dip your hand deep into the manure and pull a double heaping handful right up to your nose. If it does not smell fresh like a forest floor, then it is not finished compost. If it does not smell at all, wet it down, let it dry a little, and do the same smell test. If it smells bad, then it needs to continue composting. If it smells great, then it is finished and can be used directly on top of the soil. Plant in the underlying soil. Compost cannot support roots. Spread the compost away from the plantings.
...See More
Just how strong is a Meyco safety cover?
Q
Comments (2)
If you have a flat cover, ie no raised bond beam, waterfalls, or rock formatations, most covers will take tons of weight assuming no sharp edges like hooves. When i winterize a concrete pool, I normally require the customer have a pump under the cover to remove displaced water from snow loads. I usually put it on the step at the swim-out to keep the water level below the tile. If there is no swim out, then the first step usually gets the nod. Don't let the water level in your pool drop more than 18" below the cover or the cover may let go of it's springs at the straps. The snow load will rest on top of the water.
...See More
How strong does a countertop bracket need to be?
Q
Comments (4)
I can't imagine how a counter manufacturer could state the maximum allowable load on a counter without knowing the size of the overhang, the direction of the laminated wood strips and the location of the load. Is the load in lbs per sq.ft. uniformly distributed or a single point load located at any one point? Where did you see this information? I would not use a bracket at the middle of a 12" overhang but I might support the corners depending on the material and it's orientation. Here is a link that might be useful: counter supports This post was edited by Renovator8 on Tue, Jan 7, 14 at 16:54
...See More

Gutter Q: How strong is too strong?

Comments (2)

kudzu9

housekeeping
Original Author

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Gutter Q: How strong is too strong?

Comments (2)

kudzu9

housekeepingOriginal Author

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

housekeeping
Original Author