When to Cut Gutters
Whenever you are installing a section of gutter and it comes to a corner, you will have to make a cut. If it is the inside corner, outside corner, or simply the end of a run, that is where the cut will need to be made. These cuts are made to allow for end caps and adjoining pieces. You have to cut gutters if you are installing a meter or when you’re cutting your own miters manually.
How to Cut Gutters
Gutters can be cut using three different tools. A hacksaw, tin snips or a razor knife are preferred for this type of job. There are many variants for these three tools that will work fine. The most common tools you will see used out of these three is a pair of tin snips.
To do it, you simply cut the back of the gutter, the front of the gutter, and then the bottom of the gutter. If using a hacksaw, you usually cut it when it’s still inserted into a gutter machine because you can cut it from underneath. If it’s already cut free from a machine, turn it upside down and cut through the bottom of the gutter down to the top.
A razor knife is much more difficult. It is usually only needed for small adjustments and tweaks. You can make your line and begin to bend back and forth and cause a break to happen at the line where you need to cut. The razor should really be used to just finish the cut along the bottom of the gutter, when using snips. Be sure to cut an additional line one inch away from your intended cut off point. This allows for the metal to fold out of your way while using tin snips, causing less deforming of the metal when using snips.
Example
If you were cutting a piece of gutter one hundred inches long, you would first make a rough cut at one hundred and one inches. You will be able to cut your one hundred inch line much cleaner since the extra inch of material can just fold out of the way once you make the cut.
