If you have stumbled across our website, you might have one burning question not yet answered: What exactly are eavestroughs?

In the USA, eavestroughs are referred to as gutters. Even in Canada we say gutters sometimes, but what we are actually referring to are the eavestroughs that run along the roof of your house and down the side. The purpose of eavestroughs, or gutters, is to collect rain water and give it a place to go. The idea is to direct the water away from the foundation and roof so that there is no collecting pools of water that will cause leaking or water damage later on.

Eavestroughs can be used with many different materials including metal, plastic, and sometimes bamboo. The redirection of rain water is more pronounced by the angle of the roof as well. This is why your roof, in general, is created on a slant. If it wasn’t built this way, rain water would simply collect on top of your home and over time would become too heavy for the roof to hold.

The capacity of the eavestrough, or how much water can flow through it, will depend on the design and size. Not all eavestroughs are made the same, although they all basically follow the same original design and concept. The water that is collected in the trough that runs along with horizontal contour of the roof is pushed by gravity toward the downpipe that runs along on corner of the exterior of your home.

At the bottom of this downpipe, you will see water flowing out, especially on rainy days. In some countries, this is considered a clean way to recycle water and create clean drinking water. The only difference is that instead of allowing the water in to run off into the street, the downpipe is directed into a large barrel. This barrel becomes the vessel for several litres of clean drinking water.

Of course, most people in Canada don’t need to collect rain water in order to have clean drinking water. The purpose for us is simply to redirect water away from your home. The last thing anyone needs to persistent water damage problems with expensive solutions. It might sound too simple to be so important, but that is really all there is to know about what eavestroughs are. Another important fact about them is that they need to be maintained. What we mean by that is it is crucial to keep eavestroughs free of clutter and debris. Once eavestroughs become too cluttered, it is very easy to water to overflow which would render eavestroughs completely useless.

Remember, the whole point of your gutters is to allow a free and easy flow of rain water. If your gutters are clogged, this flow is blocked and the water has nowhere to go but back on your roof or down onto the foundation of your home. With this in mind, take care of your home by regularly maintaining your roof and eavestroughs.

Free free to contact one of our professionals if you need help.

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