What is heat tape?
Heat tape — also called heat cable or de-icing cable — is an electrical resistance cable clipped along a roof edge, in gutters, and down downspouts. P…
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Gutter terms, explained
Short, plain-English answers to the gutter questions that actually come up — what the parts are called, why they fail, and what a real fix looks like. Written by the crew that installs them across the Kansas City metro.
What is a downspout strap?
A downspout strap is the metal band that fastens a downspout to the side of the house. It carries no water — its only job is to hold the downspout tig…
Gutter end cap types explained
An end cap is the piece that closes off the open end of a gutter run. They come as left or right (named for the side of the run they sit on as you fac…
Gutter coil thickness: .027 vs .032
Seamless aluminum gutters are formed on site from a coil of flat aluminum. That coil comes in different thicknesses — most commonly .027 and .032 of a…
Gutter screws vs nails: which should hold your gutters?
Screws. Nails — specifically the old spike-and-ferrule system — rely on friction against wood that expands and contracts with every season. Screws cut…
Gutter miter types explained
A miter is the corner joint where two gutter runs meet. The three you will encounter are strip miters (formed on site from the gutter itself), box mit…
What is a splash block?
A splash block is the shaped concrete or plastic tray placed under a downspout outlet. Its job is to catch concentrated discharge, break its force, an…
What is a drop outlet?
A drop outlet is the opening cut in the bottom of a gutter, plus the collar around it, where water leaves the trough and enters the downspout. It is t…
What is a gutter miter?
A miter is the corner joint where two runs of gutter meet — at an outside corner of the house, an inside corner, or an angled bay. It is a seam, and o…
Gutter warranty types explained
There are three separate warranties in gutter work and they are constantly confused. A workmanship warranty covers the installer's labor. A material w…
What is soffit?
Soffit is the finished underside of a roof overhang — the panel you see when you stand beneath the eave and look up. It closes off the gap between the…
What is the frost line?
The frost line is the depth to which soil reliably freezes in winter. In the Kansas City metro it is generally taken as 30 to 36 inches, and local cod…
How many downspouts do I need?
The working rule is one downspout per 600–800 square feet of roof area for 2x3 downspouts, or per roughly 1,200 square feet for 3x4. But area alone do…
What is a gutter guard?
A gutter guard is any cover fitted over a gutter to keep leaves and debris out while letting water in. The category covers wildly different products —…
Why are my gutters making noise?
Gutter noise is diagnostic — the sound tells you which part is failing. Dripping usually means water is escaping a joint. Banging or popping is metal …
What is a pop-up emitter?
A pop-up emitter is the small hinged outlet at the end of a buried downspout line. It sits flush with the lawn until water pressure lifts the lid, rel…
What is a soffit vent?
A soffit vent is an opening in the underside of the roof overhang that lets outside air into the attic. It is the intake half of attic ventilation — a…
What is an outside corner?
An outside corner is a gutter miter that wraps around an external corner of the house — the kind of corner that points away from you as you stand look…
Gutter pitch and slope explained
Gutters are not level. They are pitched so water runs to the outlets, and the working figure is about a quarter inch of fall per 10 feet of run. Too l…
Hidden hangers vs spike and ferrule
These are the two ways a gutter gets held to a house. Spike and ferrule is a long nail driven through the gutter face into the fascia — the older syst…
Looking for a definition rather than an explainer? See the gutter glossary, or browse common questions.
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