Although the oldest homes have wooden shingle or standing-seam metal roofs, most of the Village's steeply pitched roofs are slate. During the renovations of the l960s, many Village buildings were reroofed in modern materials, frequently asphalt shingles. The four types of gutters in German Village are illustrated in Drawing 11 . Iron clamps driven into wooden siding or mortar joints hold downspouts to the building. Box or stop gutters catch water in a trough that is part of the roof or eave.
Water flows to the downspout through an outlet passing through the eave, cornice, or soffit.
Through preventive maintenance, you can not only preserve your roof, gutters, and downspouts but also avoid costly replacements. Remove leaves, branches, and debris from your gutters regularly. If you install screens on your gutters to keep out debris, remember to clean off the screens, too. Also inspect the gutter supports and downspout support brackets to be sure they are secure. Keep these brackets painted to avoid rust-stained walls and foundations.