Eavestrough & gutters
Eavestrough and Gutter Installation in Toronto
Most eavestrough problems are not about the trough. They are about water going somewhere it should not, usually straight down at the foundation. Fortress Windows & Doors installs seamless aluminum eavestrough across Toronto, sized to the roof it serves, with downpipes that carry the water away from the house.
Reviewed by Steve McCue and Steve Mercer, owners, Fortress Windows & Doors Inc.
Since 1989
Owner-run, family business
Canadian-made
Built for Ontario winters
Our own install crew
No subcontractors
Lifetime warranty
Covers product and labour
When to replace
Signs your eavestrough needs replacing
Water pouring over the front edge in a normal rain is the obvious one, but the quieter signs cause more damage. Look for peeling paint or dark streaks on the fascia, troughs that sag between hangers, rust spots or split seams, and soil washed out below a corner. Inside, a damp basement wall on one side of the house often lines up with a downpipe that dumps water right against the foundation. Ice build-up along the edge in winter is another clue. It usually means water is sitting in the trough instead of draining to the outlets.
The material
Why seamless aluminum
Sectional eavestrough is joined every few feet, and every joint is a place to leak once the sealant ages. Seamless aluminum is formed in one continuous length on site, cut to your house, so the only joints are at the corners and the downpipe outlets. Aluminum does not rust, and it comes pre-finished, so there is nothing to paint.
Good to know
What goes into an eavestrough job
Sizing the trough to the roof
A standard 5-inch trough is fine for many houses. It is not fine for every roof. Steep roofs and steel roofs shed water fast, and a big roof area sends a lot of it to one corner. When that happens a 5-inch trough overflows, and the overflow lands right beside the foundation.
So we look at the roof before we pick the trough. Where the volume calls for it, we install 6-inch eavestrough with larger downpipes. On a recent job in Oro-Medonte the house had a high-pitch steel roof. Snowmelt off that roof can come down in an hour on a warm March afternoon, so the house got 6-inch troughs, larger downpipes, and discharge run well away from the walls. Read the full Oro-Medonte project.
Where the downpipes go
More outlets mean less water through each one. On a long run we add outlets rather than asking one downpipe to carry the whole side of the roof. At the bottom, the water needs to exit onto ground that slopes away from the house, not onto a walkway that ices up or into a garden bed against the foundation. Extensions or splash pads finish the job, and we plan where each one lands before the troughs go up.
Leaf guards
If there are trees near the house, a trough without guards needs clearing every fall. Metal leaf guards sit over the trough and let water in while keeping most leaves out. On the Oro-Medonte job they went on so the owner is not up a ladder every October pulling maple leaves out.
Soffit and fascia
The eavestrough is only as solid as the fascia board it is fastened to. If that board is soft, new troughs will pull away. We check the fascia when we measure, and we also install aluminum soffit and fascia, so the whole roof edge can be done in one visit instead of patching around a rotten board.
Who does the work
Fortress has been in business since 1989. The installs are done by our own crew, overseen by owner Steve McCue, and the job is covered by the True Fortress Exclusive Lifetime Warranty on parts and labour. Quotes are done by his partner Steve Mercer, a former home inspector, who will tell you what he sees at the roof edge and around the foundation.
Toronto and beyond
Our Toronto office is at 4725 Sheppard Ave E in Scarborough. Our Barrie office on Pepin Court covers Barrie and Orillia, where heavy snow loads make trough sizing matter even more. If you are also replacing windows, see window installation.
Our process
How an eavestrough job runs
From first call to final walk-through.
Measure and inspect
We measure every run, look at the roof pitch and material, and check the fascia and where water drains now.
Written quote
Trough size, downpipes, guards and any fascia or soffit work on one price.
Remove the old system
Old troughs and downpipes come down and the fascia is checked again.
Form and hang
Seamless aluminum is formed on site to length and fastened to the fascia with the right slope to the outlets.
Downpipes and discharge
Downpipes are run so water exits away from the foundation, then we clean up.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should I get 5-inch or 6-inch eavestrough?
It depends on the roof. Five-inch eavestrough suits many houses, but steep or steel roofs and large roof areas shed water faster than a 5-inch trough can carry, causing overflow at the foundation. Six-inch eavestrough with larger downpipes handles the higher flow.
What is seamless eavestrough?
Seamless eavestrough is formed in one continuous piece on site and cut to the length of each run, so it has no joints along its length. Fewer joints means fewer places to leak as sealant ages.
Are leaf guards worth it?
If trees overhang the roof, yes. Metal leaf guards keep most leaves out of the trough while letting water through, which cuts down on fall clean-outs and overflow from clogged downpipes.
Do you install soffit and fascia too?
Yes. Fortress installs aluminum soffit and fascia, and checks the fascia board before hanging new eavestrough, because troughs fastened to rotten fascia will pull away.
Do you install eavestrough in Toronto?
Yes. Fortress Windows & Doors installs eavestrough across Toronto from its Scarborough office at 4725 Sheppard Ave E. Call (416) 291-5795, or (705) 294-2345 for the Barrie area.
Get an eavestrough quote
Call (416) 291-5795 in Toronto or (705) 294-2345 in the Barrie area. Steve Mercer measures the roof edge and gives you one written price.