A rain gutter (also known as eavestrough (especially in Canada), eaves channel guttering or simply as a gutter) is a narrow channel, or trough, forming the component of a roof system which collects and diverts rainwater shed by the roof.
A rain gutter may be a:
The main purpose of a rain gutter is to protect a building's foundation by channeling water away from its base. They also help to reduce erosion, prevent leaks in basements and crawlspaces, protect painted surfaces by reducing exposure to water, and provide a means to collect rainwater for later use.
Rain gutters can be constructed from a variety of materials, including cast iron, lead, zinc, galvanised steel, painted steel, copper, painted aluminium, PVC (and other plastics), concrete, stone, and wood.
Water collected by a rain gutter is fed, usually via a downspout (traditionally called a leader or conductor), from the roof edge to the base of the building where it is either discharged or collected. A collection system strategy for water carried from rain gutters may include a rain barrel or a cistern.[citation needed]
A metal (from Greek "μέταλλον" – métallon, "mine, quarry, metal") is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light. In a metal, atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions (cations). Those ions are surrounded by de-localized electrons, which are responsible for the conductivity. The solid thus produced is held by electrostatic interactions between the ions and the electron cloud, which are called metallic bonds.