How to Sight Gutters & Adjust Your Gutter Machine

When using a seamless gutter machine to produce gutters, it’s not unusual to experience curving in the gutters produced. Machine misalignment is often the cause, and adjustments to the machine are needed to correct the problem.

First, you need to sight your gutter to identify the nature of the curvature problem. After that, you can make machine adjustments as necessary to correct the alignment.

Gutter machine alignment problems happen, but their frequency can be addressed with correct care and handling. Proper transport and storage of gutter machines help reduce alignment issues. Keeping the machine free from debris, such as screws, tools and gloves, also helps.

When maintained and aligned correctly, many gutter machines last as long as 30 years. This means they pay for themselves many times over. In this blog, we’ll discuss how to recognize the need for realignment and how to perform the adjustments.

Sighting Your Seamless Gutter Properly

Begin by using your machine to form a gutter 7 to 8 feet long. Place the gutter on level ground. Position yourself at one end with the decorative face of the gutter in your right hand and the back of the gutter in your left. Lift the end of the gutter to eye level. Look down the length of the gutter to identify any curvatures or bowing. There are four types of gutter curvatures:

• Uphill: When viewed from one end, the gutter bows upward. The center is lower than the ends.
• Downhill: When viewed from one end, the gutter bows downward. The ends are lower than the center.
• Into the house: The gutter ends bow away from the house, and the center bows toward it.
• Away from the house: The gutter ends bow toward the house, and the center bows away from it.

Tips for Adjusting Your Gutter Machine

Once the curvature is identified, prepare to make the adjustments. The main areas of adjustment will include the exit mount, which controls uphill and downward bowing, and the swing shaft mount, which controls bowing into and away from the house.

Be sure to follow manufacturer adjustment instructions as closely as possible. Don’t adjust the entry mount. Measure and note the positions of all adjusting controls on your gutter machine. Based on the type of bowing identified above, adjust the controls and run test gutters.

Refer back to your notes as needed if adjustments make the problem worse. Readjust as needed until the gutters produced are straight and smooth, with no waviness, dimpling or other imperfections.

Contact Central Aluminum Supply for More Gutter Machine Repairs

At Central Aluminum Supply, our locations offer gutter machine repairs and adjustments. We also carry several quality seamless gutter machines from Ironman, an industry leader. We’re the leading supplier of gutters, gutter machines and gutter products.

We’re fully committed to 100% customer satisfaction for our clients and for the customers they serve. Count on our staff of friendly, professional experts for outstanding gutter supply knowledge and superior customer service.

To learn more about gutter machines and their alignment, contact the professionals at Central Aluminum Supply today.