how to attach gutter when there is an additional trim board on fascia?

Question

This question could be slightly misleading because I am not 100% sure of the terminology. I am replacing an old gutter - see existing installation below.

My understanding (from this article) is that I should attach gutter flashing underneath the shingles and have it (the flashing) come over the back edge of the gutter. However, my roof already has a drip edge installed (not gutter flashing), and it also has a small trim board attached to the fascia; this trim board is tucked underneath the drip edge. Also, the gutter is spaced off of the fascia by a bunch of little spacer blocks - this creates a gap between the gutter and the fascia board.

My question: is there any reason I shouldn't remove the spacer blocks and attach the new gutter directly to the fascia board? If I did that, I don't think that if I installed gutter flashing it would reach all the way down to the gutter, but considering that the drip edge would be hanging out over the gutter about an inch (the width of the little fascia trim board, plus the drip edge itself), I am wondering if I might be okay without adding actual gutter flashing...

Or, would it be better somehow to attach the gutter such that either the existing drip edge comes over the back edge of the gutter or add a piece of gutter flashing that extends down over the back edge of the gutter?

p.s. Can you tell me what that trim board on the fascia is called? That trim goes all the way around my entire roof-line (you can see it on the sloped edge as well), and I bet there's a term for it that I'm unaware of.

Here's a view from the front

Answer 1

Well I can tell you term for the 1X on the angled portion of the roof, it is rake mold. Most rake molds have a bit more elaborate profile, but there is no rule saying it can't be a simple piece of 1X. The term for the same piece running horizontally might be eave mold, but I have never heard or used it in all my years. This may have been a call made by the installing carpenter, for the idea of keeping things consistent, what is on the rakes, is also at the drip edge.

The blocks are there to keep the gutter from hanging at an angle under the roof edge so the rain does not over shoot the gutter, since it is fastened to the projecting 1X. If it was lowered, to eliminate the blocks, the rain when heavy enough, would shoot over the gutter, only light rains would be caught. If you are using aluminum gutters, you will need fasteners only 24-30 inches apart, unless you have heavy snow loads sliding off the roof, then you may need the fasteners every 16 inches. These blocks would only be needed at each fastener location. The composition roof may not let the snow slide, but the roof has a pretty high pitch.

Answer 2

I can't tell you what is the right word for the thing you have asked about but I can tell you how to replace a gutter :) First of all this isn't ideal way to install a gutter and it should be replaced. Existing gutter is too far from the edge of the roof which is not good for several reasons. Now what you should do is to place new gutters (or old ones if they are in a good shape). Fix those gutters with a "hangers”. Hangers are elements which connect the roof and the gutter and look something like this:

Upper part of the hanger should be covered with the shingles, and it should go a bit to the gutter (sorry for poor confusing sentence).This is the right way to do it. Now also having shingles as a roof cover maybe isn't best idea in the world (in some countries it is even forbidden for houses etc.); but that's different question.