How To Solder Aluminum Gutters
We also carry the flux and brushes that are necessary for prepping the copper.
How to solder aluminum gutters. My gutters are galvanized. I ve got to add a piece of gutter below a roof valley to allow it to drain into an adjacent gutter and figured soldering would be the best way to go. When the time comes to replace your gutters you ll have tow major options. Actually aluminum can be soldered with aluminum solder.
You will need to track down a specialized solder or brazing alloy intended for use on aluminum or for joining aluminum to a different metal depending on your project. Be sure and post how it turns out. A gutter would be nearly impossible to solder even if it was new and clean. Not easy and the solder is very expensive.
Easy to overheat then you have to start all over. And soldering aluminum gutters is probably one of them. 6 aluminum k style gutters are commonly found on light commercial buildings multi family buildings and homes with large roof areas to drain and or long roof valleys and or numerous corners for the water to navigate around to reach a downspout. Aluminum gutters seem less physically robust than galvanized steel but i have never seen one fail by corrosion.
Bars with 50 lbs. I recommnbed rosin flux because any residue of acid chloride flux will rust em. Once you ve obtained the solder online or from an unusually well stocked hardware store the main challenge lies in working quickly enough to join the aluminum immediately after the aluminum oxide layer has been scraped off the. Professionally installed seamless aluminum gutters and do it yourself steel or aluminum systems available at the retail level.
I think gutter sealant will be a lot more practical. Soldering has long been the standard trade practice for joining seams in copper gutter and copper roofing applications. Traditionally copper gutter installers rely on solder to seal joints because it s a permanent solution. Per box and can be purchased by the pound.
If we want the gutters to last long enough to patina solder is the low or no maintenance solution. Copper gutters are known to last a long time. Soldering galvanized requires vigorous abrasive cleaning. Regards ted mooney p e.
Thanks for doing the legwork on this problem. Few things are absolutely impossible but many things are impractical. Our solder comes in 1 4 lb. The silicone gutter sealants seem to leak a fair bit.