Old Wood Gutters

Box gutters are actually built off of the rafters of the building they are not hung from the building as metal gutters are.

Old wood gutters.

Aside from pricey maintenance heavy wood troughs and short lived vinyl ones the best option for most of us is metal elegant copper understated zinc rugged steel or affordable aluminum. These are wood gutters and they serve the purpose of draining water and sewage from the ceiling without damaging the walls of a house. Although later replaced by aluminum applied wood gutters were popular in the early 1900s because of their tendency to outlast galvanized gutters. Wooden gutters are certainly beautiful.

These wood gutters must be lined with metal. Maintenance and proper care is key. Metal gutters are durable and need relatively little care. Wood gutters add beauty and functionality to a home s exterior mostly noted for its molded face a wood gutter becomes the crown molding of the building s cornice.

Being such a decorative and important feature caring for wooden gutters is crucial. At right three photos of authentic custom wood gutters that blue ox built for the king s chapel in boston. Wood gutters were popular in the early 1900s before the price of aluminum fell and roll forming machinery brought our current gutters to market. If you come across some old model houses you will notice that they have long wooden beams constructed along the walls.

I ve seen some well maintained wood gutters over a hundred years old and rotted 10 year old gutters. The maintenance involved can be time consuming and costly. Simple wood gutters often called yankee gutters or box gutters have been around for a long time in one form or another. Once only found on historical homes or buildings they are now being made and used by those who appreciate them.

This historic landmark was built in the 1680s and today is a christian unitarian church. Find out everything you need to know to properly size your gutters and downspouts. Often the old growth wood was rot resistant enough to perform admirably for decades and other times the gutters were lined with a sheet metal like lead or copper to extend their life. Wooden gutters are a beautiful part of any home or business.

Not so attractive are rotten wooden gutters. That s where gutter liners come into action.