| TRADE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS |
IN THIS SECTION WE HAVE TRIED TO LIST THE MOST COMMAND
RELATED TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.
A.M.G. GUTTER AND DOWNSPOUTS: Honest, reliable, competitively
priced, professional, gutter installation company that puts quality
craftsmanship before profits. Family owned and operated with owner doing
all installation to ensure customer satisfaction.
BOX MITER: A component used to join to sections of gutter together at a
corner whether it be inside or outside. Can be fastened with screws or
rivets and must be sealed with a quality self leveling sealant to prevent
leaks. Most common corner used in replacement.
CONTRACTOR: A salesperson that writes contracts to supply goods and
services in return for payment. Most contractors will get you to sign a
contract and then sell that contract to another party who in most cases is
the lowest bidder.
DRIP EDGE: Small “z” shaped piece of metal installed under the starter
course of shingles used to divert water from shingles into gutter system.
Drip edge should not touch fascia board to avoid water/debris going behind
gutter potentially rotting the fascia board/soffit.
END CAP: A component used to end a run of gutter. Should be crimped to
gutter and sealed with permanent sealer to prevent leaks
FASCIA BOARD: This typically is a 1″ x 6″ pine trim board used to cap the
end of your rafters to keep out animals and the weather. This is the board
that your gutters will be attached and needs to be in sound condition to
ensure proper installation and longevity of your gutter system and the
condition of the surrounding components of your home inside and out.
SOFFIT: is the underside of your overhang. It can be as small as 3 1/2″ and
as large as 48″ or more. This trim board also covers your rafters and
should be vented. Your soffit serves less a purpose than your fascia board
as it does not support any weight and is not required for the installation of
your gutter system.
RAFTER TAILS: are the ends of the boards that support your roof
sheathing or deck boards. In the years before modern construction
techniques took over most homes had exposed rafter tails and if gutters
were in stalled they were nailed to the rafter tails which were cut at the
proper angles and lengths for a uniform installation.
ROOF SHEATHING: Plywood or in older construction 1″ x 6″ pine boards
nailed to the roof joists to enclose the rafters/attic space. Shingles are
nailed to this for a water proof finish.
RAKE TRIM: This the trim used to keep rain water from penetrating your
home at the peaks of your roof similar to drip edge it covers the edge of
your roof sheathing.
SPIKE AND FERULE: Large nails and spacers used in the installation of
gutters. (yours may be sticking out) This type of installation is outdated and
should not be used to install your gutters no matter what the price.
CONCEALED HANGER: A stamp formed heavy gage aluminum bracket
that hooks into the preformed lip of your gutter and is screwed into the
fascia board for a sturdy long lasting installation.
HAND MITER: This is another throw back to the old days when gutters
were made of copper or steel and had to be hand cut, soldered, and if steel
painted to the desired color. Today the only gutter that should be hand
mitered is custom copper. The majority of homes today are fitted with
aluminum gutter which come pre-painted and when hand mitered must be
touched up with spray paint which voids your paint manufacturer’s warranty.
Most commonly used in new construction to save money (around $3.00).
STRIP MITER: Similar to a box miter but is much smaller and less
expensive, usually used to cover a hand miter.
SEAMLESS GUTTER: Is a phrase coined by gutter machine manufacturers
to sell machines and embellished by the installers that could afford them to
beat their competitors that could not. Seamless means just that no seams
and with the different components of a gutter system make it impossible for a completely seamless system. IF THE PROPER SEALANT IS USED YOUR
GUTTERS SHOULD NOT LEAK NO MATTER HOW MANY SEAMS.
CAULKING: A semi liquid compound used to fill gaps between materials in
an attempt to waterproof. There are many grades of caulk on the market
today that produce varying results. (you get what you pay for)
SELF LEVELING SEALANT: Quality underwater sealant used by
professionals to seal everything from swimming pools to heat ducts and is
an excellent choice for gutter systems as it remains flexible and waterproof
for many years outlasting even the most expensive caulks. Because it is a
self leveling agent it finds its way into all of the cracks and crevasses it
comes in contact providing a permanent seal in most cases.
ZIP SCREWS: Small hex head screws used in the sheet metal industry for a
strong modern installation. (exterior fasteners should be stainless steel)
STAINLESS STEEL: A metal that is highly rust, chip and stain resistant.
Excellent for use as an exterior fastener as it will not rust like less expensive
Zinc plated screws.
ZINC PLATED: A metal plating that is used as a coating to slow the
corrosion of steel used in an interior or exterior application. Most of these
types of plated fasteners measure their rust free life expectancy in hours
not in days or years.
POP RIVET: Small cylindrical fastener that when compressed upon itself
expands filling a pre-drilled hole through two or more pieces of sheet metal
fastening them together.
GUTTER PROTECTION: A cover that is attached to the top of your gutter to
keep debris and animals from entering you gutter causing it to overflow.
SPLASH BLOCK: Put underneath the downspout to divert rain water and to
reduce erosion of soil/landscaping materials.
VALLEY OVERFLOW GUARD: A piece of sheet metal installed on the top
of an area of gutter that has a tendency to overflow due to the
convergence of two or more roofs that funnel a large volume of water into
the small area gutter. (usually at an inside corner)
PITCH: To pitch something like a gutter is to make it out of level. In the
instance of a gutter system, water always finds level and will travel in the
direction of the lowest point preferably the outlet for your downspout.
SUB CONTRACTOR: A person or persons engaged in business doing the
work of a contractor for a lesser fee. Usually several sub-contractors will bid
on a job that a contractor has acquired through a similar bid process. More
times than not the lowest bid is taken and can be as little as 25% of the
original cost the home owner is paying leaving huge profit for the contractor.
In these cases the home owner has over paid and does not have direct
contact with the sub contractor if there is a problem with their work.
IN OUR OPINION CONTRACTORS SHOULD BE ONLY USED WHEN
MULTIPLE TRADES ARE BEING USED AND HAVE TO BE MANAGED
OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AND ALL SUB CONTRACTOR BIDS SHOULD
BE APPROVED BY THE HOME OWNERS WITH A MINIMAL
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FEE PAID TO THE CONTRACTOR.