By Othon Jarle
Generally, most people know what a gutter is, but only a few individuals have a good understanding of what an eavestrough is and how it works. Even those that know about the two terms often assume that they mean the same thing. So, if you are struggling with knowing the difference between a gutter and an eavestrough, you are not alone as many other individuals are like you.
In this article, we will explain the major difference between a gutter and an eavestrough.
What is a gutter?
A gutter is a system designed for the collection of waste and drainage of houses. This system eases the process of disposing of the waste.
What is an eavestrough?
An eavestrough, on the other hand, is a trough created for receiving rainwater or melting snow at the edge of a house. Basically, the term “eavestrough” is the combination of the words “eaves” and “trough”. An eave refers to a particular part of a roof that covers a wall and makes a line that ensures that rainwater doesn’t damage the wall.
The difference between gutter and eavestrough
Without mincing words, both gutters and eavestroughs are used for getting rid of water coming from your roof. However, they are slightly different. Simply put, an eavestrough is attached to the eaves of a structure and drains the water that is received from the roof. But a gutter is rather a channel that is only prepared on the surface.
Also, in most situations, a gutter is used for defining a large system that is used for collecting rainwater from several buildings. It serves as a single connected system for carrying water away from numerous houses and other structures to a drainage system.
However, an eavestrough is just designed for a single building. It drains the water and waste from a house into a much large system that connects to the other houses within the same neighborhood.
Another difference between gutters and eavestroughs has to do with location. In the US, most individuals use the word “gutter” to refer to a drainage system designed for carrying water away from a building. But people in Canada prefer the term “eavestrough” for referring to the same system. Even some people in the northern United States prefer utilizing the term eavestrough.
So, based on the difference explained above, it can be difficult to understand the clear-cut difference between a gutter and an eavestrough. This is because the terms are somewhat related. Besides, a term is more suitable for use in a particular region than the other. Therefore, if you want to use these terms, you may want to consider your particular region so that everyone around you can truly understand what you are saying.
In a nutshell, gutters and eavestroughs are closely related but quite different. However, since lots of individuals use them interchangeably, you can use either of the terms for describing a drainage system. You only need to be certain that your target audience understands what you are referring to.
