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 Mobile ViewguttEXTERIORS of buildings ADHESIVES, EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION AGE of a BUILDING - how to determine ALGAE, FUNGUS, LICHENS, MOSS ANIMAL ENTRY POINTS in buildings ANIMAL ODORS IN buildings ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING COMPONENT ID ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE BARK SIDE DOWN on DECKS, TRIM, STEPS BASEMENT WATERPROOFING BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE BRICK VENEER WALL Loose, Bulged BRICK WALL DRAINAGE WEEP HOLES BOOKSTORE - EXTERIORS CAULK GUN TYPES, CHOICES CAULKS & SEALANTS, EXTERIOR CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CATCH BASINS DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION Deck Construction Best Practices DECK COLLAPSE Case Study DECK FINISHES COATINGS PRESERVATIVES DECK FLASHING LEAKS, ROT Case Study DEFINITIONS of ENGINEERED WOOD OSB LVL etc DRYWELLS, FRENCH DRAINS for FLAT SITES EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED FOUNDATIONS ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY EXTERIOR WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES FLASHING MEMBRANES PEEL & STICK FLASHING for METAL ROOFS FLASHING ROOF WALL DETAILS FLASHING ROOF-WALL SNAFU FLASHING SIDING DETAILS FLASHING WALL DETAILS FLASHING WOOD ROOF DETAILS FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FOOTING & FOUNDATION DRAINS FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE FOUNDATION WATERPROOFING FRENCH DRAINS GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GLUES ADHESIVES, EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION GRADING & SITE WORK, EXTERIOR GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS ARE GUTTERS NECESSARY? BASEMENT de-WATER vs GUTTERS FLAT ROOF DRAINAGE SYSTEMS FLAT ROOF INTERIOR DRAINS FLAT ROOF DRAIN CLOGS FLAT ROOF DRAIN ADDITIONS GUTTER CAPS GUTTER DEFECTS LIST CLOGGED GUTTERS LOOSE GUTTERS OVERFLOWING GUTTERS? OVERSHOOTING GUTTERS SLOPE INADEQUATE, GUTTER GUTTER DEFECTS, MORE BACKFLOWING GUTTERS GUTTER INSTALL ERRORS SAGGING GUTTERS DRIP LINES INDICATE OVERFLOW GUTTER END CAPS GUTTERS On NO-EAVE buildings GUTTER HANGERS GUTTER REPAIR, LEAKY JOINT GUTTER SCREENS GUTTER SIZES GUTTER TYPES GUTTER PROFILES ALUMINUM K GUTTERS COPPER GUTTERS EAVES TROUGH, INTEGRAL GUTTERS GALVANIZED GUTTERS PLASTIC GUTTERS WOOD GUTTERS YANKEE GUTTERS NO-GUTTER SYSTEMS SNOW & ICE DAMAGE to GUTTERS DOWNSPOUT / LEADER DEFECTS DOWNSPOUTS BURIED / BELOW GRADE ABANDON BURIED DOWNSPOUTS CLOGGED BURIED DOWNSPOUTS CONNECT DOWNSPOUTS to BUILDING DRAINS? PERFORATED PIPE DOWNSPOUT DRAINS BURIED ALUMINUM DOWNSPOUTS UNDER-SIZED DOWNSPOUT DRAINS SHARED DOWNSPOUT DRAINS DOWNSPOUT EXTENSIONS DOWNSPOUT ONTO BACKFILL DOWNSPOUT ONTO IN-SLOPE GRADE DOWNSPOUT LEAKS DOWNSPOUTS SPLIT DOWNSPOUT LEAKS at CONNECTIONS DOWNSPOUT EXTENSIONS TOO FLAT DOWNSPOUTS UNDER DECKS DOWNSPOUT DEFECTS, MORE MISSING GUTTER, DOWNSPOUT DOWNSPOUTS, NUMBER NEEDED DOWNSPOUT / GUTTER STRAINERS DOWNSPOUT ANIMAL DAMAGE DOWNSPOUTS, OTHER USES: A/C DRYWELLS, FRENCH DRAINS for FLAT SITES FRENCH DRAINS for DOWNSPOUTS SURFACE CONTOURING for DRAINAGE SWALE for DRAINAGE CONTROL SLOPE RECOMMENDED at buildings CATCH BASINS HEAT TAPES & CABLES on Roofs for Ice Dams HOUSE PARTS, DEFINITIONS HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET ICE DAM PREVENTION INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS KIT HOMES, Aladdin, Sears, Wards, Others LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE LEAD TEST KIT for HOME USE LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION LOG HOME GUIDE LIGHTNING PROTECTION METAL LATH, PLASTER & STUCCO MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOISTURE CALCULATIONS MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE PAINT ANALYSIS, DIAGNOSTIC USES PAINT & STAIN GUIDE, EXTERIOR PAINT FALURE, DIAGNOSIS, CURE, PREVENTION PORCHES & Sunrooms PORCH CONSTRUCTION & SCREENING RAILINGS, DECK & PORCH RAILINGS, STAIRWAY RETAINING WALL DESIGNS, TYPES, DAMAGE RETAINING WALL GUARD RAILINGS ROOF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES - PHOTO GUIDE ROOF CLEANING RECOMMENDATIONS ROOF COLOR RECOMMENDATIONS ROOF DORMER TYPES - PHOTO GUIDE ROOFING DIAGNOSIS INSPECTION & REPAIR ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES ROT, TIMBER FRAME SEARS KIT HOUSES SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR SHEATHING, Gypsum board SHEATHING Homasote & Other Board SHEATHING, OSB SHEATHING, Plywood SHEATHING, FOIL FACED - VENTS SIDING, Sheathing Identification - Photo Guide SIDING, ALUMINUM SIDING, ASBESTOS FIBER CEMENT SIDING ASPHALT ROOF SHINGLES on WALLS SIDING ASPHALT SHINGLE or SHEET SIDING DAMAGE by SPLASHBACK SIDING EIFS & STUCCO SIDING, FIBER CEMENT SIDING HARDBOARD SIDING STEEL SIDING VINYL SIDING, WOOD PRODUCT CHOICES SIDING, WOOD INSTALLATION SIDING WOOD, FAILURES OVER FOAM BOARD SIDING WOOD, FLASHING DETAILS SIDING WOOD SHINGLE INSTALLATION SINKHOLES, WARNING SIGNS SOUND CONTROL in buildings STAIN & BIODETERIORATION AGENT CATALOG STAINS on buildings - QUICK GUIDE STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES: PHOTO GUIDE STAINS & Thermal Tracking STAIN DIAGNOSIS on ROOFS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on STONE STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS STONE CLEANING METHODS STONE VENEER WALLS STUCCO WAll FAILURES DUE TO WEATHER STUCCO WALL METHODS & INSTALLATION STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION STUCCO PAINT FAILURES SURFACE GRADING, SITE DRAINAGE TERMITES, ROT THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS THERMAL MASS in buildings TREES & SHRUBS, TRIM OFF BUILDING TRIM, EXTERIOR CHOICES, INSTALLATION VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION in buildings VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING WATER ENTRY in buildings ATTIC LEAKS Moisture or Mold BASEMENT De-Watering Systems BASEMENT CEILING VAPOR BARRIER BASEMENT De-Watering Systems BASEMENT HEAT LOSS BASEMENT LEAKS, INSPECT FOR BASEMENT WATERPROOFING BASEMENT WINDOW LEAKS CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CORROSION in ELECTRICAL PANELS CRAWL SPACE DRYOUT PROCEDURES DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE DRYER VENTING DRYWELLS, FRENCH DRAINS for FLAT SITES DRYWELL DESIGN & USES EFFLORESCENCE, Salts & White / Brown Deposits ELECTRIC PANEL MOISTURE EXTERIOR WATER SOURCE ELIMINATION FLOOD Damage Assessment & Repairs FLOOD DAMAGED FOUNDATIONS FLOOD VENTS & FLOOD PORTS FLOODS IN buildings-priorities FOUNDATION DRAINS, INTERIOR FOUNDATION WATERPROOFING GEOTEXTILES & DRAINAGE MATS GRADING & SITE WORK, EXTERIOR GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS HUMIDITY CONTROL & TARGETS INDOORS HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS LOG HOME Leak Diagnosis & Cure LOG HOME Condensation &Moisture MOISTURE in BUILDING WALLS, EFFECTS MOISTURE in CELLULOSE INSULATION MOISTURE CALCULATIONS MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOISTURE METER STUDY MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE MOLD in buildings Mold in Fiberglass Insulation Mold on Books, Book Conservation Mold on Fiberboard Insulating Sheathing MOLD PREVENTION AFTER FLOODING MOLD RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION ROOF VENTILATION SPECIFICATIONS Soffit Intake Vents & Attic Condensation SEALERS, Basement Floor & Wall Moisture SEWAGE CONTAMINATION SITE & SURFACE DRAINAGE SUMP PUMPS GUIDE SWEATING (CONDENSATION) on PIPES, TANKS VENTILATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION DESIGN PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS VENTILATION, WHOLE HOUSE STRATEGIES WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS WET BASEMENT PREVENTION WINDOW / DOOR AIR LEAK SEALING HOW TO Window Flashing & Sealing Guide WINDOW LEAKS INTO BASEMENT SUMP PUMPS GUIDE SWEATING (CONDENSATION) on PIPES, TANKS VENTILATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION DESIGN PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS VENTILATION, WHOLE HOUSE STRATEGIES WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS WET BASEMENT PREVENTION WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS WIND TURBINES & LIGHTNING WINTERIZE A BUILDING More Information |
Here we define & discuss "Yankee Gutters" or board-on-roof gutter systems, including how these gutters are built, re-lined, or re-constructed. We also discuss how both Yankee gutters and integral or eaves-trough gutters are abandoned on buildings. Here we also comment on NO-GUTTER SYSTEMS - eaves attachments that claim to make gutters unnecessary. This article series discusses how to choose, install, diagnose & maintain roof gutters & downspouts, & roof drainage systems to prevent building leaks and water entry. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Yankee Gutters: definition, features, repairsYankee Gutters are a second on-roof site-built gutter system that we illustrate below. A board is set on edge on the roof slope to form a gutter. the downspout connection must pass through the roof deck and eaves.
Our Yankee gutter photos below show a traditional board and bracket design (below left) and a yankee gutter rebuild (right). In our right hand photo we combine photos of a yankee gutter installation in process by the author (DF) on a home in Poughkeepsie, NY. We combined two photos to show some of the steps taken to protect the roof eaves from leakage. In this yankee gutter rebuild we used treated 5/4 lumber for our gutter board and for the supporting gutter brackets (not shown).
We removed the old yankee gutter completely (it was rotted). Roofing felt (not shown) was installed extending up under the roof shingles above the gutter, as was solid copper flashing (shown in our photo at right) as well as copper drip edge. Set in a bed of caulk, the yankee gutter board was set onto and screwed through the copper into the roof deck. Each penetration through the copper eaves flashing was sealed by applying a blob of 50 year caulk on the under-side of the board or bracket where the screw would penetrate. But that step was just extra "insurance". The main protection against yankee gutter leaks into the roof structure, building eaves, or walls was and remains the quality and detailing of installation of the gutter liner itself. You can see that we had lined the new yankee gutter with copper that was bent over the top edge of the gutter board. When that installation was complete we installed and sealed our gutter brackets at 16" o.c. (older roofs used 24" o.c.) for a gutter that was strong enough that if a roofer walked in it we had no worry that everyone would fall to earth. A cheaper retrofit that can be used when the gutter boards and roof are not rotted, is a gutter re-lining using glued EPDM roofing or torch-down modified bitumen roofing. The advantage of the modified bitumen gutter liner for roofs where the gutters are visible is that it can be painted with silver roof paint to look just like the original installation. As we warned at Repair Methods for Eaves Trough or Integral Roof Gutters,
Abandoning Leaky, Rotted Eaves Trough or Yankee GuttersWatch out: for both eaves trough gutters or yankee gutters, the most common and damaging leak point usually occurs at the penetration through the roof structure or building eaves to fit a downspout. Because this was such a common and problematic leak point, and because repair of badly-damaged (rotted) eaves trough and yankee gutters is labor intensive, some building owners decide to abandon the original roof gutter design. For abandoning an eaves trough gutter the abandonment consists in "roofing over" the old trough, typically using solid metal or a membrane roof material. Our photos (below) show that an original eaves-trough gutter was "roofed over" using corrugated metal barn roofing. Unfortunately the building now has no gutter system at all, and a soaking wet basement.
Watch out: because some eaves trough gutters project horizontally in front of the original roof eaves, if you simply "roof over" the horizontal structure of the eaves trough you'll be creating a "flat roof" slope at the lower end of the main roof. Such a design in areas of snow fall are prone to snow and ice dam backups and leaks through the roof itself. For abandoning a yankee gutter the abandonment is simpler than for an eaves trough: the original board and brackets are removed from the roof and the contractor either extends the existing type of roof coverage down to the roof edge or eaves, or s/he installs solid metal flashing all along the roof eaves. In both cases a modern gutter is then secured to the edge of the building roof, disregarding any architectural or aesthetic issues that may have been created. No-Gutter Systems: Roof Spillage Dispersants, Surface Runoff ControlWhat about products sold as a "substitute for gutters" such as rain dispersant louvers that are installed at roof edges? Our OPINION is that roof edge drainage louvers or "gutterless" systems are useful if your building is in an area where there is rarely any rainfall, or if you have installed an extensive sub-soil water interception system around a building to perfectly protect the foundation from leaks and water entry (such as buried horizontal geotextiles and gravel that collect all surface water and conduct it away from the building). Watch out: otherwise, your roof runoff will still spill close to the building where that concentration of water invites basement or crawl space water entry and related damage. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about bulding or repairing yankee roof gutters. Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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