House Gutters Around the World

The Brothers that just do Gutters recently stumbled upon a gutter outfit in Australia and it had us thinking about house gutters around the world. When people travel the world, most times the ordinary things of life may not catch their attention. Most people have probably never considered what other countries use for gutters or how they might look. The functionality, design and purposes of the gutter systems in various parts of the world greatly change with cultural, economical and environmental impact.

House Gutters in the US

Rain gutters can be found on nearly every home in the USA. People here in the US mostly use rainwater systems to move water away from the house. They are just as common around the world in any country that receives a substantial rainfall. They are a necessary attachment to handle the rain. It is especially true of countries where rainfall is even greater than the highest rainfall states here in the US.

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Rain Gutters Across The World

Traveling across the pond to a Country like England brings us to a country which has a greater rainfall around the year than experienced anywhere here in the US. Although England also refer to their rain guttersystem the same way, they are slightly different than gutters here in the US. Homes in the UK will feature similar styles of gutters in the US but utilize a lot more plastic gutters seeing their rise right after WWII. A lot of older European buildings, especially those in the city, have the concrete flintlock gutters built into the building itself. Over time, they will leak and a lining must be applied to the interior such as aluminum.

Some gutter companies in the UK offer services to remove the built-in concrete flintlock gutters and others will line them. Plastic and metal gutters are hanging from a roofline.

African Gutter Systems

In some African countries, gutters collect rainwater in barrels during the monsoon seasons. This is where rain can provide quite a substantial amount of water collected in rain barrels. Although there is a common misconception that Africans live in tribal villages and hunt for their food, this is just not true. They have established cities, businesses and homes of which all need gutters. Some of the more rural parts of African countries have limited access to public utilities. Using water for the everyday chore requires a trip to the river. Some homes feature large reserves for rainwater collection.

A house, such as this one in Kenya, may feature gutters more typically seen in European countries. A water barrel collects rainwater during the rainy seasons of the year.

South America’s Gutters

Down in South America, Brazilians call them by the Portuguese word for gutters – calhas. Brazil also has more rainfall a year than every state in the US except Louisiana, Hawaii, Alabama and Mississippi. This is the country featuring the largest rain forest in the world. Similarly, they use gutter styles found in the US and are crafted using aluminum.

Brazilian house gutters shown here are k-sytle aluminum. Plastic is an option too.

What Do You Call Your Gutter System?

Around the world, they go by other monikers but in large part are referred to as gutters. Interesting enough, a short travel to the north into Canada reveals a different name. They are more commonly known as eaves troughs but resemble gutters here in the US. With K-style and half-round shapes being the more common style. Their gutters are made from similar materials such as aluminum, galvanized steel, copper and others.

Closing off our travels, we circle back to Australia. Australians refer to them as gutters and install the typical k-style or half-round gutters. Box-shaped gutters are common and are hanging from residential and office buildings. Whether you call them –  gutters, eaves troughs, troughs or whatever – we here at the Brothers Gutters can install them. We might not travel the world but, we know a thing or two about house gutters.