The Costco greenhouse is made by Yardistry, and while it’s a great structure, it doesn’t come with gutters. So in my ongoing effort to make the Farm at the Not So Seekrit Lair a little more sustainable, today I installed gutters on my Costco greenhouse.
Originally I planned to add gutters on both sides, but the way it would have needed to route into the rain barrel array looked a little janky (in my aesthetic opinion). So this year I’m starting with gutters on the north side of the greenhouse and seeing how much water I collect.
Before I got started on the gutters, I made a small improvement to the greenhouse entry after a nasty fall I took last week. I slipped in the mud, sprained my knee, and ended up covered head to toe. Lesson learned.
I rearranged the remaining pavers into a more stable path in front of the greenhouse. I’ve ordered six more of these pavers so I can extend the walkway all the way across.
For the gutter project, I used Amerimax vinyl gutter components, all purchased at my local Lowe’s. I’ll link to all the pieces and parts as I mention them.
I also used AI to help figure out exactly what parts I needed so I could make a single trip to the store. It also helped me sort out the installation process while I muddled through the project today.
Materials Used
- Amerimax end caps two-pack
- Amerimax 10′ vinyl gutter
- Amerimax gutter hangers six of these
- Amerimax drop outlet
- Amerimax downspout
- Amerimax elbow joint two of these
- Silicone sealant
Installing the Gutter Hangers
First up, the gutter hangers. Once I got one up I put this scrap piece of gutter up so I could get an idea how tough it would be to install, and it wasn’t tough at all! You may need to zoom in, but you see how the gutter just slides into the tracks on the front and back edges?
I installed six hangers along the greenhouse frame, running at a very slight downward slope from front to back so the water would flow toward the downspout.
Wrestling With a 10-Foot Gutter Alone
Since I was working solo, there’s unfortunately no video of me wrestling a 10-foot piece of vinyl gutter into place. I’m sure it would have been entertaining.
The gutter cuts easily with a basic hacksaw. I was happy to be able to use a single continuous 10′ run, which meant I didn’t have to deal with seams.
Cutting the Downspout Outlet
This is where AI steered me wrong.
The drop outlet piece wraps around the gutter, and then you’re supposed to cut a matching hole in the gutter itself. I had specifically said I didn’t want to cut the gutter when I was generating the parts list… but here we were.
Since I had zero interest in making another Lowe’s run, I improvised.
I traced the outlet hole by sticking a marker up through the drop piece. My first attempt was drilling small holes around the outline, but in the end I used a 2-inch hole saw to cut the opening cleanly.
Problem solved.
Installing the Downspout
After that small adventure, I took a break to enjoy the satisfaction of a job moderately well done.
I cut a 30-inch length of vinyl downspout (it also comes in a 10-foot run), attached an elbow joint, and then added a short stub of downspout to reach over to the rain barrel.
Finally, I installed the end caps on both sides of the gutter. I liked this particular set because it came as a left/right pair, which made installation foolproof.
Sealing Everything Up
Tomorrow morning I’ll apply silicone sealant to the end caps and the drop outlet to make sure everything is fully watertight.
It’s currently pouring rain outside. I briefly considered going out to inspect my handiwork in action, but:
- it’s dark
- it’s cold
And I am, in fact, a delicate hothouse flower.
Next Step: Rainwater Harvesting
I installed these gutters so the greenhouse roof could feed a rainwater harvesting system.
In the next post I’ll show how I connected the downspout to four bottom-linked rain barrels to collect greenhouse runoff.
If it works the way I’m hoping, it should significantly improve my watering setup and reduce how often I need to rely on the garden hose.
The Amy Experience 