I might need to hang new gutters. Hopefully it will just be repair and adjust pitch of existing ones, but you never know.

Before tackling the 100+ feet of gutters at the top of my house, I have a few questions on just how gutters should be hung (hanged?).

The small sections of gutter over my porch that I can actually get to (and I assume are hung the same as the gutters at the top of my house) are pushed right up against the bottom of the roof line and against the house. This puts the edge of the bottom shingle about one inch above the top of the gutter, and has the roof cover about 3/4 of the gutter's width. I have very thin wrists, but I am still unable to get my hands into the gutters to clean them.

So, my questions.
1) where should the gutter be in relation to the bottom of the shingles? I saw on ToH that a straight-edge along the roof should go over the gutters (so that melting sheets of snow will not clog it)
2) Pretending I could have level gutters, where should the bottom of the roof be in relation to the gutters (how far above, should it end in the middle of the gutter or somewhere else?)
3) If being right up against the fascia would put the gutters too far back, what is the best way to add spacers?
4) Despite reading contrary opinions online, I will not have level gutters; I do intend to pitch my gutters. Now is the time for someone with "Moderator" in his/her name to tell me to be level instead.

Thank you.

 

1. Below the shingles and sloped toward the outlet.
2. You don't want level gutters.
3. If you don't want to install your gutter tight against the facia, there are strap hangers (pic) or install spacer blocks behind the gutter.

The rules change for every job. The edge of the roof shingle should be located above and within the open area of the gutter. That's it. Starting with a blank canvas. Use a chalk line (pull it tight) and a line level and check the level of the facia on the house. It could be level, sloped the wrong way for the drain you want, have a hump in the middle, have a dip in the middle. Don't assume your facia is level. Adjust your chalk line to give you slope toward the drain or you will end up with standing water in the gutter. Snap a line and use that as reference to install the gutter. The gutter could end up pushed tight to the roof drip edge or even under the drip edge on the high side and inches lower on the low end if the facia slopes to the left and you want the drain on the right.
Tha strap hager is typically used on a house that has no facia or if the facia is not vertical of if the roof sheathing extends beyond the facia. The typical hanger, strap or spike and ferrule will mount to a vertical facia board.

 

I'll have to find correct spacer blocks. I hate the way hangers look if they are over the shingles.