Gutters Vs. Eavestrough: What's The Difference?

What do you call those things that funnel water away from your roof? Most of the U.S. calls them gutters, but if you're in a more northern state or Canada, you might call them eavestroughs. "Eavestrough" is 25 times more common in Canadian English than American English, but if you've heard both terms, it begs the question: are gutters and eavestroughs the same thing? The two words are often used interchangeably, but technically, they're not exact synonyms — one is a subset of the other, since an eavestrough is a specific type of gutter.

Think of it this way: every eavestrough is a gutter, but not every gutter is an eavestrough. Breaking down the term "eavestrough" explains what it is. Eaves are an important feature of your home, defined as the lower edges of a roof that jut out past your home's exterior walls. Consequently, "eavestrough" refers to a trough connected to the eaves that catches water and funnels it into a drainage system away from the house. While this is a type of gutter, the term "gutter" is more generic and describes any system that catches runoff water from your home.

The best way to tell if your home's gutters are eavestroughs is by looking at where they connect to your roof. If it's attached directly to the eave like most gutters are, it's an eavestrough. Eaves look different in different architectural styles, but they'll still be identifiable as any part of the roof overhanging your walls. You may not have eaves at all if your roof is flat, in which case whatever is collecting water runoff is technically just a gutter. There's no one material eavestroughs are always made of — they're typically made of metals like steel and aluminum, but can also be made with vinyl or even copper.

The size of the system differs from eavestroughs to gutters. An eavestrough only drains water from one house, while the term "gutter" can describe a larger system that collects runoff from multiple houses. Though eavestroughs are a more common type of gutter, there are non-eavestrough gutters like garden rain chains or French drains, which provide a different look and functionality for keeping water from damaging your home.