Not sure I can help, but this has always been my issue as well for my old schoolhouse which was "housified" by my Uncle in the 1930's. Originally the building, built in the 1870's-80's, had no gutters. Not necessary because it was built on a rise and proper drainage away from the foundation was accounted for. Plus there was no cellar. When I moved in, it had the half round style of old gutter you speak of with twisted wire hangers. They were failing so my father insisted I put up modern. That was in 1978, and I have put a different set on since. Because the house settles so much off and on, there is never consistently the proper grade for water to run the length of the gutter to the down spouts.

I too wanted a more historic look but gutter salesman just looked at me like I was from outer space. They had what they had. There is still some of the old half round with wire hangers on the small barn- getting badly rusted by now - but I like the style.

Sarah, my metal gutter on my pantry and front porch are painted to match the trim...holds up very well.

With the storm last June which took out my tree, I now ought to replace my porch gutter--and am seriously leaning toward the half-round, but I too dislike (and can't afford) copper. I ran across this link, and am probably going to use this.

You might be able to find this in a local builder's supply (not a big box store I think)--the guy who took down my garage said it was available, but then, he ran off with my money to build a replacement shed in place of my garage...so who knows?

Here is a link that might be useful: Half-Round Gutter system

Sarah,

You can still buy half-round galvanized in the Albany area. It can be painted (after careful cleaning, or a season or two of oxidizing in place).

When you have it installed (or do it yourself) try to avoid the modern (time-saving for installers) technique that leaves the gutter bent out awkwardly rather than smoothly inwards as it crosses the eave/frieze trim. They can be tucked in nicely -the 19th c way- but you have to insist. Strenuously!

After the M'Ville tornado we had some temp. K-style aluminum(you will know how long "temporary" is in this case) installed to replace the torn off half-round. In the (longish!) interim it has fared much worse from ice damage than the decades older half-round. It's marginally cheaper but appears to last only a tiny fraction as long. The installation costs are the same. The supports in some places have already torn out. The K-style is outta here as soon as as we have time to tackle it.

Installing it youself is not hard, but requires two people with considerable ladder-comfort, obviously two tall ladders, and sometimes scaffolding. And careful measuring and planning, and then sometimes maddening fidgeting to get the segments to go together, and stay together, during the install. Getting the pieces up, together and secured is one of those tasks that invite married-couple crabbiness. I generally have to plan on a weekend's worth of my DHs fav meals, and fresh cookies, to smooth out the ripples from a gutter install. It doesn't help that gutters, being in the roof and exterior wall assembly so they are my projects take a lot of time away from my DHs projects, like (boring and invisible) electrical stuff.

Aluminum K-style is often custom-bent on site so it goes up faster. The installers who did the work for us didn't seem to bicker too much, at least in front of us!

One other signifcant difference is that the K-style is hung from above so it has brackets that cross over the top of the gutter to front lip. The half round can be installed so it is supported from below in a cradle. The completely open half-round top makes cleaning leaves out much, much easier as you can just sweep them along without having to work around the @#$%^&!*&! brackets.

You can order longer lengths of half round from various places, but trucking fees can get pricey. Small family-owned building supply stores may be able to get longer lengths, if you ask. The big box stores, not so much.

I could suggest a source, but I am an hour away from you and you probaly have a better local one? There's also a metal-fabricating place in Albany which will custom make guttering in any metal you like. It's beside, and down below, the Henry Johnson Blvd. elevated flyover section just north of Central Avenue intersection. Tricky to find, but an excellent resource with very cheerful and helpful people working there.

HTH

L.

Sarah,
We are in the process of installing Zinc Half Round Gutters on our old home. Check out the World Gutter Systems site at www.slateandcopper.com. They carry the half rounds in a variety of materials and sizes. We found them very easy to work with and they ship.

guttersupply.com seems to carry gutters and all the other required hardware in a range of materials, including aluminum in many prefinished colors as well as the more traditional galvanized or galvalume. A local supplier would probably be easier to deal with, but the materials are pretty readily available.

Is anyone still on here? Guess which style gutters we've put on our old house????

NONE because we're too swamped to DIY and absolutely NO ONE IN THE CAPITOL REGION will install these for me. I have (I'm not joking here...) called THIRTY gutter companies, FOUR Historical Districts, roofing companies, gutter supply companies, fancy colleges with historic homes that they upkeep, and NADA!

Absolutely no one will or can or has installed these!

Out of all of my historic home hunts, this one is going the worst. I am like a freaking gutter detective, and still can get no one to help me.

If anyone can help in any way, could you please email me with any info? My poor porch gets SOAKED in every rainstorm and we just redid that two years ago, painstakingly. Ugh.

(And if one more gutter guy tries to explain to me why I want seamless K-style gutters on my 1870's Victorian, I might just lose my marbles!!!!!!)

engels@averillpark.k12.ny.us

Thanks!

Sarah in Selkirk, NY

I wouldn't call a gutter company; I'd try either an old-house restoration company or a handyman. Or...DIY.

Don't rule out the option of installing Yankee gutters. I had mine reinstalled.