We rarely think of rain gutters as an interesting topic of conversation to trot out at cocktail parties, but they’re more fascinating than you may think! Don’t believe us? Here are seven rain gutter facts for your entertainment:
- The rain gutter as we know it today was invented in the early 1900s.
- Prior to the 19th century, rain gutters were made from wood. Today, we can find them in plastic, aluminum, and steel, and most North American rain gutters are seamless.
- Ancient Greeks and Romans used gargoyles on their buildings to direct rain away from the important parts of the building. Many believe gargoyles were also used to ward off evil spirits.
- The standing water in your gutter, if improperly installed, is a breeding ground for mosquitos.
- Lots of words rhyme with gutter, but none rhyme with eave trough (which is a more technical term for rain gutters).
- Regular gutter cleaning can kill you, if you’re not careful! According to the CPSC, there are 164,000 injuries in the U.S. every year related to ladders.
- Just ask a Utah rain gutter technician: hundreds, or maybe thousands, of children’s toys are found in gutters annually! You’ll mostly find balls up there, but also Frisbees, badminton birdies, Barbies, toy cars, and more! How they all get up there, we’re not sure.
It’s interesting tidbits like these that make our employees not only great Utah rain gutter technicians, but scintillating conversation partners as well!
