Fitting new guttering the easy way

This week’s post is a follow on from our blog on HOW TO: Remove old guttering in 4 easy steps. While we’ve shown you how to get rid of the old, it’s time to show you how to put in the new with our top tips on fitting new guttering.

 Step one: Fit your gutter bracket

Fit the gutter bracket near the top of the fascia board at one end of the guttering. Follow this by tying a builder’s line or piece of string around the base of the bracket.

 Step two: Start with the outlet

The first place you should fit the new section of guttering is the outlet. Remember that this will be joined to the downpipe, which you will need to position directly over the ground-level drain. You’ll also need to consider the depth mark on the plastic guttering as this allows for changes to the plastic in hot and cold weather, ensuring it’s correctly placed for all seasons.

To position it correctly, hold a plumb line against the fascia directly over the drain. Fit the gutter outlet no more than 50mm below the level of the roof tiles and follow manufacturer’s instructions for your products.

Once this is in place stretch your string or builder’s line and tie to the outlet, making sure the string slopes towards the outlet. A slight fall – of around 10mm for every 6m of gutter – will help the water to drain efficiently.

Step three: Continue to fit the rest of the brackets

Mark the position of the other brackets, making sure they are no more than 1m apart and no more than 150mm from any joint or fitting, and fit each bracket.

 Step four: Complete your first length of gutter

Fit a stop-end to the first length of gutter and clip it into position. When doing this, make sure the gutter end is lined up with the insertion depth mark on the bracket.

Step five: Fit and join your next length of gutter

Once you’ve fit a union piece at the other end of the first length you can begin to fit the next length of gutter into it. It’s important to cut the last section to fit and to attach a stop-end, making sure all joints line up with the insertion depth marks on the guttering.

 A note on safety:

When fitting guttering it’s important to work your way up to complete the guttering safely.

Instead of resting your ladder against the guttering, hook a metal stand-off to the top of your ladder so that it’s away from the wall and not resting on the guttering.

Always remember to place a ladder on firm, even surfaces and get a colleague or family member to hold the ladder while you’re using it.

 For more how to articles and information on safety in your trade take a read of our blog. We’ve got plenty of information for all tradesmen – from ladder safety right through to seasonal tips.

 Do you have any tips for fitting guttering? If so, leave them in the comments below. Alternatively you can tweet your top tips to us @BrownsLadders