How to Install a Half-Round Gutter

Q: I got rid of the rusty old gutters on my 1830s farmhouse. Now I need new ones. What should I replace them with?
—Susan Choyce, Stow, Mass.

Kevin Lyons, Hayden-Lyons Roofs of Distinction, replies: I'd recommend that you install traditional half-round gutters in copper. The style is appropriate to your house, and you'll never have to worry about the copper rusting.

Hanging them is not hard, as long as you have a helper to lift and set the sections in place. But first you need to size up your situation so that you can order the parts. Ask yourself: What lengths do I need? Will each gutter get one downspout or two? And what about the fascia, where the gutters attach? Is it angled or plumb? Is it even sound? (If it isn't, repair it.)

When the parts arrive, locate the high point of the gutter's run—the farthest point from a single downspout or the midpoint between two. Then you can set the pitch, and the rest is all downhill.

Shown: Kevin Lyons fits a downspout elbow to a copper gutter. Its shine will fade, but this durable metal will last a lifetime.