PVC Eavestrough Installation Update

Several more lengths of eavestrough were installed today.  The photo below shows the gutter about 1 foot from the corner of the house.  That's not going to work because we need to have the diverter, a connector, and a corner piece in this area and there just isn't enough length.  

 We corrected the problem by taking down the full length of gutter (10 feet) and then installing a two foot section first, slid on 2 hangers, then a connector, then the 10 ft section, slid on 4 hangers, then the diverter was slid onto the gutter, slid on another hanger, and then attached the outside corner piece.

I held up the right end while R went back to the inside corner and screwed the hangers in place making sure that the gutter was almost level with a slight slope at both ends because that is where the downspouts are located.  The trick is to slide everything onto the gutter in the correct order.  

The above photo shows the outside corner piece making the turn on the right side of the photo.  The remaining run will have only one downspout so the install should go rather smoothly.  R will need to go back and use a hole saw to cut an opening in the gutter where the diverters are located.  After he drills the hole with a hole saw he will go back with a large burr bit in a pneumatic grinder and open up the opening in the gutter even more.

  We purchased 5 inch downspouts so we need the holes in gutter where the diverter is located, as big as we can get them.  If we left the hole 3 inches in diameter we would not fully utilize the 5 inch downspout.  We want the rainwater to empty from the gutter as fast as it can so it doesn't overflow when there is a big storm that dumps a lot of rain in a short period of time.

The hangers are generally 20 inches apart but we like to add a hanger about 5 inches from the connector on each side to help support that area.  The diverters have two holes for screws so it is supported without the need for extra hangers.  Hangers are cheap.  Better to install more than less.  Just make sure that the placement is for the most part spaced the same.  We liked spacing the hangers 20 inches but you could even do 12 inches.  I wouldn't space them any further than 24 inches apart.

The placement of the diverter is based on your house design but whatever placement you choose just try and repeat the placement.  We liked the look of 3 inches from the edge of the corner board to the edge of the diverter piece.  We didn't want it too close to the corner board because the downspout is white and so is the corner board.  If the corner board and downspout are too close then from far away it will read as a very wide corner board.  We thought it best to have some grey shingles show between the corner board and the downspout.

We might get to the downspouts on Saturday, it will depend on the weather and how quickly we can get into Flint and pick up a piece of furniture and then get back home and get it into the house.  The pick up time is 11am but with the sun setting so early we have found that there is not enough light after 430PM to be able to do a good job.

The downspouts and gutters are cut on the chop saw.  You turn the gutter upside down, cutting from the bottom to the top of the gutter.  Go slow and you will get a nice cut.

Tools we have used

Chop saw

Pneumatic grinder

Hole saw

Rubber mallet

Battery drill motor with screw bit attachment

Wire end cutter 

Utility knife

Level

Ladder

Tape measure

Eavestrough 10 ft lengths $4.16

Hangers $2.03

End caps Pr $7.15 

5 inch downspouts 10 ft lengths $7.36

Elbows 

Gutter connectors $4.20

Downspout connectors $1.97 

Downspout clip $1.63

Outside corner $6.16

Inside corner $6.16

Screws box/25 

Reuse Repurpose Recycle

Storm Windows Installed Just In Time for the Storm

Over the last several days, R and I finished installing the last of the storm windows. Several storm windows needed glass, several requiring gluing, and all needed their thick coat of paint removed. Just scraping the glass to remove all the paint spray and sloppy painting took me hours of work. But now we have another barrier against the winter winds.

R took time out to clean out the gutters while he had the ladder out to install the storm windows on the second story. He tied himself to the chimney and then later on brought his duelly truck around front and tied the rope to it rather than the chimney. Hopefully this will be the last time we have to clean the gutters as all new gutters will have gutter caps installed when we replace the old gutters.
Speaking of wind....it is almost 11PM on Friday night and it is 70 degrees but extremely windy. Today R and I worked in the rain replacing a missing downspout and were pleasantly surprised that we were not freezing to death.

The plan tomorrow is either to pick up leaves or remove an A/C unit that was placed in the wall by cutting a permanent hole in the wall. We have central air so the window/wall unit is no longer needed nor wanted.

Here is a photo of the ugly useless A/C unit. He also removed the last of the old antenna wire that was attached to the outside of the house along with numerous old clips, hooks, and bent nails that held said antenna wire in place.
Future plans call for that newer style window above the A/C unit to be replaced with small French doors and a small Juliet balcony. This room is our master suite and we are hoping to increase cross ventilation. This is the east side and the west side has two small windows in dormers. The north side has a fireplace and the south wall is an interior wall so we could really use an increase in window space. I am sure these were small double hung windows at one time.

Once the A/C unit is removed and replaced with sheathing and shingles I will probably resume my stripping of the trim in the foyer, vestibule, and dining room. In between that we will have visits from the chimney guy to install caps in the three chimneys, a visit from the furnace guy for a tune up on the two furnaces, and a visit from the gutter guy to install new gutters on the front of the house.