Plain definitions of 35 terms we use on the job in Arkansas.
Term Index
Open any term below for a dedicated definition page.
Aluminum Gutter is a rainwater drainage channel made from formed aluminum and installed along a roof edge. It collects runoff from shingles and directs that water toward downspouts. Aluminum gutters are common in residential replacement work because the material is lightweight, resists rust, and can be shaped to fit many roof layouts.
Also called: Aluminium Gutter
Apron Flashing is a sheet-metal component installed along a roof edge to guide water into the gutter and protect the fascia behind it. The material sits beneath the roofing edge and extends toward the gutter. Proper placement helps prevent runoff from entering the roof edge, wall, or fascia area.
Also called: Gutter Apron
A box gutter is a built-in roof drainage channel with a rectangular profile. The gutter sits within or alongside the roof edge and carries rainwater toward a downspout or other outlet. Its concealed construction differs from exposed residential gutters, so roof framing, lining, flashing, and drainage connections all affect replacement work.
Also called: Box-Style Gutter
Clogged Downspout is a drainage problem where leaves, roof debris, or compacted material blocks the passage inside a downspout. The blockage restricts rainwater moving from the gutter to the ground. Water may back up into the gutter, spill over the edge, or collect near the building until the obstruction is removed.
Also called: Blocked Downspout
A conductor head is a transition fitting that collects water from a roof drainage channel and directs it into a downspout. Often shaped like a box or funnel, it provides space for water to gather before entering the vertical pipe. Conductor heads may also add a visible architectural detail near the roofline.
Also called: Leader Head
A downspout is a vertical drainage component that carries water from a roof gutter to the ground or a connected drainage area. It helps direct runoff away from exterior walls, foundations, doors, and walkways. A downspout usually connects to the gutter through an outlet and may include elbows or an extension.
Also called: Downpipe, Leader Pipe
Downspout Elbow is a shaped fitting that changes the direction of a gutter downspout. The fitting connects downspout sections at corners, roof edges, walls, or ground-level transitions. Its angled shape helps route water away from the building while keeping the drainage path continuous and supported.
Also called: Leader Elbow
A Downspout Extension is a component attached to the bottom of a gutter downspout that carries roof runoff away from the building foundation. The extension may discharge water onto a splash block, sloped ground, drainage area, or another approved outlet. Its placement helps direct water toward a suitable destination.
Also called: Downspout Diverter
An End Cap is a fitted gutter component that closes the open end of a gutter run. The cap helps keep rainwater inside the channel until it reaches an outlet or downspout. End caps may be attached with sealant, crimping, or both, depending on the gutter material and connection design.
Also called: Gutter End Cap
Fascia Board is a horizontal board fixed along the lower edge of a roof. It supports the roof edge and provides a solid surface for attaching gutter hangers. The board may be made from wood, composite material, or another building product. Sound fascia helps keep gutters securely aligned with the roofline.
Also called: Fascia
Flashing is thin, shaped material installed at roof edges, wall joints, and other openings to guide water away from vulnerable connections. In gutter systems, flashing helps direct roof runoff into the gutter and protects the fascia, soffit, siding, and roof structure from water intrusion. Common materials include aluminum, steel, and galvanized metal.
Also called: Roof Flashing
A gutter hanger is a support component that attaches a gutter to the fascia board or roof structure. The hanger holds the gutter in position while allowing water to flow toward the downspout. Hangers may sit inside the gutter for a concealed appearance or remain visible beneath the gutter edge.
Also called: Gutter Bracket
Gutter Pitch is the slight slope built into a gutter run so water moves toward a downspout. Installers set the slope along the fascia, the board behind the gutter. Proper pitch supports steady drainage and helps limit standing water, overflow, and debris buildup inside the gutter channel.
Also called: Gutter Slope
A Gutter Scoop is a handheld tool that removes leaves, sludge, and other debris from inside gutters. Its shaped blade fits along the gutter channel and lets a worker lift material into a bucket or bag. The tool supports manual gutter cleaning and helps clear debris without relying on water pressure alone.
Also called: Gutter Cleaning Scoop
Gutter Screen is a protective cover that fits over an open gutter and allows rainwater to enter while blocking leaves, pine needles, and other debris. The screen may use perforated metal, mesh, or another shaped material. Its design supports water flow and reduces the amount of debris that reaches the gutter channel.
Also called: Gutter Filter, Leaf Screen
A gutter spike is a long fastener that secures a gutter to the fascia board behind it. The spike passes through the gutter’s front and back edges, often through a tubular ferrule that holds the gutter shape. Its condition affects how firmly the gutter stays attached during routine drainage and weather exposure.
Also called: Spike and Ferrule
A half-round gutter is a curved rainwater channel with a rounded bottom and open, semicircular profile. The shape guides roof runoff toward downspouts while giving the gutter a traditional appearance. Half-round gutters may be made from aluminum, copper, steel, or other materials, and they require compatible hangers, end caps, and outlets.
Also called: Half-Round Trough
A Hidden Hanger is a concealed gutter bracket that fastens through the back of a gutter into the fascia board or roof edge. The bracket supports the gutter without showing beneath its front lip. Installers commonly use hidden hangers with sectional or seamless gutters when a clean exterior appearance and firm attachment are both needed.
Also called: Concealed Hanger
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms along a roof edge when melting snow refreezes near the eaves. The ridge can hold later meltwater against shingles and roof flashing. That trapped water may enter roof gaps or flow behind gutters, creating a drainage problem that gutter cleaning alone may not solve.
Also called: Ice Damming
K-Style Gutter is a rain gutter with a flat back and a decorative front shaped like the letter K. The profile resembles crown molding and fits many modern home designs. K-style gutters collect roof runoff and direct it toward downspouts. Installers commonly form them from aluminum, but other materials are available.
Also called: Ogee Gutter
Miter is a gutter corner joint that connects two gutter sections where the roofline changes direction. The joint uses angled cuts, a corner piece, or both to guide rainwater around an inside or outside corner. A properly formed miter also helps limit leaks at one of the gutter system’s most vulnerable connection points.
Also called: Gutter Corner, Mitre
Rain Barrel is a storage container that collects roof runoff from a gutter downspout for later outdoor use. A rain barrel usually connects beneath a downspout and holds water until you use it for tasks such as watering plants. It can reduce direct discharge near a foundation, but it does not replace a complete drainage plan.
Also called: Rainwater Barrel
Rain Chain is a decorative drainage component that guides water from a gutter outlet toward the ground. A rain chain uses linked cups or connected lengths of metal to control the water’s downward path. It can serve as a visible alternative to a closed downspout when the discharge area can receive and direct runoff safely.
Also called: Rain Chain Downspout
Runoff is water that flows across a roof or other surface after rain or melting precipitation. In gutter work, runoff travels toward the roof edge, enters the gutter, and moves through downspouts toward a safe discharge area. Its flow depends on roof shape, slope, surface area, rainfall, and the gutter system’s layout.
Also called: Stormwater Runoff
A seamless gutter is a continuous gutter run formed on site to match a roof edge, with joints limited to corners and outlets. The installer shapes the gutter from a coil of material, then fits and secures it along the fascia. This design reduces the number of seams across straight sections.
Also called: Continuous Gutter, Seamless Rain Gutter
A Soffit Vent is an opening or vented panel installed in the underside of a roof overhang. The vent allows outdoor air to enter the attic intake system, which supports airflow through the roof assembly. Soffit vents are commonly paired with exhaust vents near the roof ridge or upper roof area.
Also called: Eave Vent
Splash Block is a shallow, sloped drainage piece placed beneath a downspout outlet. The block receives water from the downspout and directs the flow away from the building foundation. Common materials include plastic, concrete, and molded composite. Its shape helps spread discharge across the ground while limiting soil washout near the wall.
Also called: Downspout Splash Block
Standing Water is water that remains pooled on or near a building after rainfall or runoff should have drained away. In gutter systems, the pool may form inside a sagging gutter, at a blocked outlet, or beside a downspout discharge area. Persistent pooling can point to a drainage problem that needs inspection.
Also called: Ponding Water
A surface cleaner is a pressure-washing attachment that uses rotating spray nozzles beneath a round housing to clean broad, flat areas. The housing helps contain spray and supports more even cleaning than a single wand nozzle. Surface cleaners are commonly used on concrete driveways, sidewalks, patios, and other hard surfaces.
Also called: Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner
Vented Soffit is a soffit material with built-in openings that allow air to move through the roof edge. The openings support airflow through the attic while the soffit covers the underside of an eave. Vented soffit panels are installed with solid soffit, fascia, and roof-edge components as part of a complete exterior system.
Also called: Ventilated Soffit
A vinyl gutter is a rainwater channel made from molded plastic that collects roof runoff and directs it toward downspouts. Vinyl gutters are lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and commonly formed in sections that connect along the roof edge. Their fit, slope, and support determine how well the system moves water away from the structure.
Also called: PVC Gutter
Water Damage is harm caused when unwanted moisture enters or remains in building materials. The moisture can weaken siding, stain surfaces, swell wood, loosen finishes, and support decay. The severity depends on where water travels, how long materials stay wet, and whether the source continues. Repairs address both damaged materials and the path of entry.
Also called: Moisture Damage
A weep hole is a small opening in siding, flashing, or another exterior assembly that lets trapped water drain to the outside. The opening supports drying behind the surface and helps prevent water from collecting within wall materials. Weep holes commonly appear near the lower edge of siding systems.
Also called: Weep Vent
White Rust is a pale, powdery corrosion product that forms on zinc or zinc-coated metal when moisture reacts with the protective surface. The residue often appears as white, gray, or chalky deposits. On gutter materials, white rust can signal surface oxidation and may affect whether cleaning, treatment, or replacement is appropriate.
Also called: Aluminum Oxide Corrosion
Zinc Gutter is a metal rainwater channel made from zinc sheet that collects roof runoff and directs it to downspouts. Zinc develops a protective surface patina as it weathers, which changes its appearance over time. This gutter material suits replacement projects where long service life and a distinct natural finish matter.
Also called: Zinc Rain Gutter
