- Gutters are installed across the lower portion of the roofline of a house to catch water from rain or melting snow. Gutters are pitched slightly in the direction of a downspout that allows the collected water to drain from the gutter to the ground. The hardware used to install the gutter must be strong enough to maintain the gutter's pitch; otherwise, water will accumulate in the gutter and overflow. Hardware to hang gutters is spaced every 24 inches along the length of the gutter.
- A spike is a large, oversized nail that is driven through a hole in the gutter. The aluminum sleeve or ferrule is positioned inside the gutter so the spike can be driven through it and out the back of the gutter into the fascia board, which is a piece of wood trim nailed against the exposed ends of the roof rafters. Spikes cannot be used if the house does not have a fascia board. Spikes tend to loosen over time, which is a disadvantage of the spike and sleeve method of installation.
- The fascia bracket hanger is nailed or screwed to the fascia board. The gutter is cradled in part of the bracket that extends out from the fascia board. Bracket hangers are made in different shapes to conform to the shape of the bottom of the gutter. A clip extends over the gutter from the fascia board and locks into place on the gutter's front edge to hold it in place.
- A roof hanger strap wraps around the gutter and is locked into place on top, leaving a long section of strap. The shingles at the edge of the roof are gently raised high enough to allow the long section of strap to be slid under the shingles and nailed or screwed to the roof sheathing. Unlike the other methods to install gutters, roof hanger straps can be used on homes that do not have fascia boards.
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