# Ideas for flexible gutters. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521 "2014-10-25T22:26:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/1 "2014-10-25T22:26:31Z")
I have a porth with a curved (a gentle S curve) roof. Metal gutters would cost around 5K. They would be beautiful but way too expensive. Does anyone have any ideas for materials that I could fashion into gutters? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/2 "2014-10-25T22:51:43Z")
Since there will be many opinions as an answer to the OP, let’s move this one from General Questions to IMHO. **samclem** , moderator ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/3 "2014-10-26T00:52:32Z")
What type of metal was the $5k quote for? A few options may be copper, vinyl or fiberglass. If you don’t care how it looks buy some flex-tubing, cut it in half and conform it too your roof. Is this for a porch or is a porth something that I’m not aware of? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/4 "2014-10-26T01:01:34Z")
Quality vinyl gutters are cheap and will last a long time. You can also get flexible molded fiberglass gutters fitted, but that’s more of a specialty item. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/5 "2014-10-26T01:19:45Z")
$5K for gutters? How big is your porch? I just had almost 600 linear feet of gutters (aluminum) replaced on my house, and it cost about $3K. And my house is round, not square. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/6 "2014-10-26T01:42:12Z")
I first read this as “Ideas for flexible guitars,” and was trying to think how they could possibly be kept in tune. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Timetrvlr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Timetrvlr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timetrvlr)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/7 "2014-10-26T01:49:33Z")
Try this site [Radius Rain Gutter](http://www.radiusgutter.com/). Hope it works out for you. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/8 "2014-10-26T22:37:18Z")
Vinyl with “V” cuts on the side to be compressed and (if the curve is too much, linerar cuts on the side to expand. Once installed, a light strip of fiberglass curved under and up onto the outer surface - a tape for the inner (applied from the inside, obviously). Make sure the resin and glass will stick to the vinyl. Otherwise, get an English Wheel and practice, practice, practice… ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/9 "2014-10-27T02:37:29Z")
> [@mozchron](#): > > $5K for gutters? How big is your porch? > > I just had almost 600 linear feet of gutters (aluminum) replaced on my house, and it cost about $3K. And my house is round, not square. It was a custom job to be made in the shop. Because of the curves there is about 90 linear feet needed. Plus downspouts, which to match the rest of the fancy gutter aren’t cheap. Using copper since the relative costs for Stainless Steel wasn’t that great. Yeah, the shop agreed that they were pricing themselves way too high. They wouldn’t have paid that price for the job. But they are the only place I can find that would even quote. All the Al gutter folks will only make straight gutters. I wish I could find someone who would put in curved Al gutters. Everyone, Thanks for all the ideas. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/10 "2014-10-27T02:40:13Z")
> [@Timetrvlr](#): > > Try this site [Radius Rain Gutter](http://www.radiusgutter.com/). Hope it works out for you. Thanks! I will investigate. Though according to their webpage, their gutters come out to $44/linear foot. So I would be looking at $4K. For one gutter. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/11 "2014-10-27T02:41:26Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > I have a porth with a curved (a gentle S curve) roof. > Metal gutters would cost around 5K. They would be beautiful but way too expensive. Does anyone have any ideas for materials that I could fashion into gutters? Spelling! 🙂 I have a porch with a curved roof. Sigh ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/12 "2014-10-28T19:59:02Z")
Something like [this](http://www.rainhandler.com/about-rainhandler/) might be a viable alternative but you’d have to check with the mfr. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-flexible-gutters/702521/13 "2014-10-28T20:06:02Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > Thanks! > I will investigate. > Though according to their webpage, their gutters come out to $44/linear foot. So I would be looking at $4K. For one gutter. That means you’re planing on getting 90feet. Do you really need that much or did you make the same mistake I did when I first looked at that site and forget that you only need it for the curved part? IOW, get regular gutters for your entire house and only get the expensive gutters for the curved parts. They give you a kit to mate them together. OTOH, if the curved part really is 90 feet, then it probably is going to be an expensive project no matter how you look at it you want it to look nice.