Fit gutter brackets, gutter and a downpipe along your shed roof edge, sloped correctly, to divert rainwater cleanly away.
SG-01Plan the run and work out the fallDecide where the rainwater should end up — a water butt, soakaway, or existing drain — and mark that as your low end. The gutter needs to slope towards it by roughly 5mm for every metre of run (a fall of about 1:200). Measure the length of the roof edge and mark the high and low points in pencil on the fascia or rafter.
SG-02Buy the right parts for your shedCheck whether your shed has a fascia board (a flat timber board along the roof edge) or just exposed rafter ends. Fascia brackets screw to a fascia board; rafter arm brackets fix to the side of exposed rafters instead. Buy gutter, brackets, a stop end for the closed end, a running outlet where the downpipe connects, a downpipe, and pipe clips to hold it to the wall.
SG-03Set up your ladder safely and check for cablesStand the ladder on firm, level ground at roughly a 75° angle, and have someone foot it if you can. If your shed has power or lighting run along the roofline, trace the cable route before you screw anything into the fascia, and avoid drilling near it. A shed cable is usually clipped visibly along the timber, but check both sides before you start.
SG-04Mark the bracket positionsPull a string line taut between your high and low marks to guide the fall. Mark bracket positions no more than 1m apart, with one bracket within 150mm of each end, each joint, and the stop end. Check the string still shows a steady downward slope towards the outlet before you fix anything.
SG-05Fix the bracketsInto a fascia board, screw brackets straight into the centre of the timber using 32mm woodscrews — never right at the edge, or it can split. Into exposed rafters, screw the rafter arm bracket into the side of the rafter foot instead. If the timber feels old or hard, drill a small pilot hole first to stop it splitting, and keep each bracket lined up with the string.
SG-06Cut the gutter to lengthMeasure each length you need against the marked run and cut the gutter with a hacksaw, supporting it so it doesn't flex or crack. File the cut edge smooth so it seats properly into the joints and stop end.
SG-07Fit the stop end and outletPush the stop end onto the closed end of the run and the running outlet where the downpipe will go, following the maker's clip-in method. Run a bead of gutter sealant on push-fit joints, especially the outlet and stop end, so they stay watertight.
SG-08Clip the gutter into the bracketsStarting at the high end, clip each gutter length into its brackets and work towards the outlet, joining lengths with union joints where needed. Check the fall again with the spirit level as you go, and adjust a bracket slightly if the slope has gone uneven.
SG-09Fit the downpipeHold the downpipe against the shed wall from the outlet down to where you want it to discharge, and mark the length. Cut it with the hacksaw, connect it to the outlet with a shoe or bend if it needs to kick out from the wall, and fix it with pipe clips screwed into the timber cladding roughly every 1.2m. Leave a small gap between pipe and wall so air can circulate.
SG-10Test the runPour a bucket of water in at the high end and watch it flow all the way to the outlet and down the pipe without pooling or dripping from a joint. Reseal any joint that leaks and retest before you finish.
SG-11Tidy upSweep up offcuts and swarf, fold the ladder away, and dispose of packaging. Store spare screws, clips and sealant somewhere dry for next time.
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