How it works
The parts of a rain gutter system in two drawings. The first looks along the roof edge at the downspout. The second looks down into one length of gutter.
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Parts of a gutter system along the roof
The gutter hangs from the fascia board on hangers. Lengths are joined with a slip connector, and an end cap closes each open end. Where the downspout starts, a drop outlet is let into the gutter, with a strainer standing in it.
Parts of a gutter downspout, top to bottom
Under the drop outlet, two elbows carry the water back to the wall. The downspout runs down the wall, held by straps. A last elbow at the foot turns the water onto a splash block.
- A gutter that sags usually has a loose hanger.
- Some books call the downspout a leader or a conductor. It is the same pipe.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a downspout called?
A drop outlet at the top, where the water leaves the gutter. Then elbows, which are the bent pieces, and the straight downspout itself. Straps hold it to the wall, and a splash block sits under the last elbow.
What holds a gutter to the house?
Hangers, fastened to the fascia board or the roof. The sources list three kinds: a bracket, a strap, and a spike driven through a sleeve called a ferrule.
What is the piece at the end of a gutter called?
An end cap. It is a flat plate that closes the open end of a run of gutter.
What is the block under a downspout called?
A splash block. It sits on the ground under the last elbow and leads the water away from the house. Ready-made ones are concrete.