Overview
The main purpose of an eavestrough is to protect a building’s foundation by channeling water away from its base. The gutter also helps to reduce erosion, prevents leaks in basements and crawlspaces, protects painted or stained surfaces by reducing exposure to water, and provides a means to collect rainwater for later use.
Eavestroughs can be made from a variety of materials such as cast iron, lead, zinc, galvanised steel, painted steel, copper, painted aluminium, PVC (and other plastics), concrete, stone, and wood.
Water collected by an eavestrough is fed, usually via a downspout or “downpipe” (traditionally called a leader or conductor, from the roof edge to the base of the building where it is either discharged or collected. Water from eavestroughs may be collected in a rain barrel or a cister.
*All descriptions are taken from Wikipedia