[kramca]

Our home has galvanized 3 x 4 downspouts...a few are as long as 18' and have been welded to angle in from the gutter to the brick and welded at the bottom to feed the underground runoff pipe.

To replace them with aluminum (replaced gutters are aluminum) all I see are 10' sections of the 3 x 4. If continuous (like the galvanized) is not available, and I have to have a seam....how do I connect, eg. a 10' and approx. 8' for my long ones ? Connector ? Would prefer continuous...

Also, as the current galavanized downspouts angle in to hug the brick, I will have to use an offset elbow (2") at the top and a 30 degree A style elbow at the bottom. The only place I can find those, so far has been at egutter.com

Are these off size elbows that rare ?

 

[framer52]

Our home has galvanized 3 x 4 downspouts...a few are as long as 18' and have been welded to angle in from the gutter to the brick and welded at the bottom to feed the underground runoff pipe.

To replace them with aluminum (replaced gutters are aluminum) all I see are 10' sections of the 3 x 4. If continuous (like the galvanized) is not available, and I have to have a seam....how do I connect, eg. a 10' and approx. 8' for my long ones ? Connector ? Would prefer continuous...

Also, as the current galavanized downspouts angle in to hug the brick, I will have to use an offset elbow (2") at the top and a 30 degree A style elbow at the bottom. The only place I can find those, so far has been at egutter.com

Are these off size elbows that rare ?

Gutter screws.
Yep

 

[Leftyho]

Hi,

Zip screws will fasten them together.

The galvinized is in 10 sections also. You just do not see the joint. It may be solder and painted.

Any place you would go for materials they would be rare.

 

[kramca]

invisible is right....the house is 38 years old and these long galvanized downspouts don't even have a ripple at the ten foot area.

So aluminum gutter screws rather than pop rivets if if DIY ?

 

[Leftyho]

Hi,

If you can pop rivet the joints, that is the ideal way to do it.

 

[framer52]

Hi,

If you can pop rivet the joints, that is the ideal way to do it.

I disagree as when you screw them together you also can unscrew them for maintenance if neede!:thumbsup:

 

[Leftyho]

Hi,

When you take the screw out they never hold as tight again.

The screws also catch things inside and cause the need for cleaning.

The screws rust away. Even the stainless screws. The stainless has degrees of resistance to rust. And the screws a diy'er has access to will be rusting in 5 or 6 years.

Pop rivets look the best and work the best.

 

[kramca]

Another stupid question....I have two ten foot lengths of 3 x 4 aluminum downspout to join with pop rivets or screws.....using aluminum with aluminum...given that the profile is identical, how do you get a nice looking joint (similar to my soldered galvanized ones) with aluminum downspouts ?

I assume you compress the upper piece to get it to fit in the lower....

Is there a tool to do this and still have a nice looking seam ?

 

[framer52]

Another stupid question....I have two ten foot lengths of 3 x 4 aluminum downspout to join with pop rivets or screws.....using aluminum with aluminum...given that the profile is identical, how do you get a nice looking joint (similar to my soldered galvanized ones) with aluminum downspouts ?

I assume you compress the upper piece to get it to fit in the lower....

Is there a tool to do this and still have a nice looking seam ?

Aluminum downs have a factory end that is made to fit into a reg pipe. the problem comes when you dut the pipe, then you need a special tool. Relax it is not that expensive!:thumbsup: