Eavestroughs aren’t new! What follows is a brief history of gutters through the ages.

1st century BC – 1st century AD: Under the Roman Empire, the roads are lined with canals used to divert water and mud off the roads. As the Empire expanded, the Romans brought their system of canals to Europe.

11th century: Following the Norman invasion, churches and major structures are rebuilt with stone roofs and parapets. A system of gutters and gargoyles is also installed to drain water from the roofs.

12th century: The bourgeois areas of cities and towns have tile gutters.

13th century: The Tower of London is fitted with the first downspout to protect the walls from splashes. This is believed to be the first downspout installed in England.

16th century: After Henry VIII orders the dissolution of the monasteries and convents, the market is flooded with gutters, decorative cisterns and other second-hand rainwater management accessories made of lead.

18th century: In England, the price of iron drops and it comes to replace lead as the most popular material for gutters. In the American colonies, gutters are also becoming increasingly popular. Most are made of wood with iron or wood fasteners.

19th century: Internal gutters made of iron are added to major buildings in the United States. Water drainage to underground canals is thus rendered invisible.

1891: The first gutter guard is invented by Smith and Slaymaker.

1900-1925: The first roller machines are invented in the United States. They are used to make half round steel gutters.

1939-1950: The Second World War accelerates the development of plastic, making it an increasingly popular material for gutters, especially in postwar England.

1960-1965: A machine for the production of seamless gutters is invented, completely revolutionizing the rainwater management industry. Because of its sturdiness and weight, most gutters are henceforth made of aluminum.

1970-1980: Portable gutter machines are invented and, from then on, they are transported in cubes or on trailers.

2001: The best gutter guard available hits the market: the Gutter Clean System by Alu-Rex.

2002: Guy and Stéphane Brochu invent the T-Rex (originally called the Fixa-Tech), the industry’s first continuous hanger system!

2009: Launch of the T-Rex XL, the strongest continuous hanger system on the market, specially designed for fastening gutters in complex situations such as steep slopes or tin roofs.