A rain gutter (also known as eaves trough, 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(n): 1. Roof integral trough along the lower edge of the roof slope which is fashioned from the roof covering and flashing materials. 2. Discrete trough of metal, or other material that is suspended beyond the roof edge and below the projected slope of the roof. 3. Wall integral structure beneath the roof edge, traditionally constructed of masonry, fashioned as the crowning element of a wall. 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.
Atlanta
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the State of Georgia. As of 2009, Atlanta had an estimated population of about 541,000 people. Its metropolitan area is the ninth largest in the country, inhabited by about five and one-half million people. Moreover, the Atlanta Combined Statistical Area has a population approaching six million, making it the most populous metropolis in the Southeastern United States. Like many areas in the Sun Belt, the Atlanta region has seen explosive growth since about 1976, and it added about 1.1 million residents between 2000 and 2008. Atlanta is considered to be a top business city and is a primary transportation hub of the Southeastern United States - via highway, railroad, and air. Atlanta contains the world headquarters of such large corporations as The Coca-Cola Company, Georgia-Pacific, AT&T Mobility, the Cable News Network, Delta Air Lines, and Turner Broadcasting. Atlanta has the country's fourth-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies (although UPS, Home Depot, and Newell Rubbermaid are not within its city limits) and more than 75 percent of Fortune 1000 companies have business operations in the metropolitan area, helping Atlanta realize a gross metropolitan product of $270 billion, accounting for more than 2/3 of the Georgian economy. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been the world's busiest airport since 1998 (measured by number of passengers). Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County and the location of the seat of government of the State of Georgia. A small portion of the City of Atlanta corporate limits extends eastwards into DeKalb County. Residents of Atlanta and its surroundings are known as "Atlantans".
Gwinnett
Gwinnett County is a suburban county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 15, 1818. Gwinnett county is the state's 42nd county. As of the 2000 census, the population was 588,448 but the explosive growth seen through out the first decade of the 21st century has pushed the population to 808,167 as of 2009, making it the second most populated county in the state of Georgia after Fulton County. The county seat and largest city is Lawrenceville. The county was named for Button Gwinnett, one of the delegates who signed the United States Declaration of Independence on behalf of Georgia. This county is within the five-county core part of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area (Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area). It contains many suburbs of Atlanta, many of whose residents commute using the major highway, Interstate 85. Despite recent efforts of forming a public bus system, the average commute time in Gwinnett County is 30.8 minutes, ranking it the highest in metropolitan Atlanta and 18th highest nationwide (2003 census). Gwinnett County's population is approximately 18.3 percent of the total Atlanta region population and has captured 26% of the region's growth since 2000, growing faster numerically than any other county in the region for the past 25 years running. It was the third-largest county on the list of 100 fastest-growing counties in the nation from 2000–2004.
Duluth
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits. Much of the adjacent city of Johns Creek (incorporated in 2006) uses one of the Duluth ZIP codes. The population of Duluth was 22,122 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous city in Gwinnett County, behind Lawrenceville. As of July 2008, the population is estimated to be approximately 26,125. Duluth is a popular and rapidly developing suburb of Atlanta, close to Interstate 85, which allows for a quick commute to Atlanta. It is home to Gwinnett Place Mall, Gwinnett Civic and Cultural Center, Arena at Gwinnett Center, Hudgens Center for the Arts and Red Clay Theater. It is also home to Gwinnett Medical Center - Duluth, an 81-bed hospital constructed in 2006, as well as GMC's Glancy Campus, a 30-bed facility located near downtown. Nearby attractions include Stone Mountain and Lake Lanier.
Decatur
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 18,147 in the 2000 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name. An intown suburb of Atlanta and part of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, Decatur's public transportation is served by three MARTA rail stations. Decatur's official motto is "A city of homes, schools and places of worship." Prior to 2000, this motto was "A city of homes, churches, and schools."
Buckhead
Buckhead is an upscale uptown district within the city of Atlanta, Georgia, United States and comprising approximately the northern one-fifth of the city. Buckhead could be characterized as mostly suburban in character, with a highly urbanized center with many high-rises centered along Peachtree Rd and GA-400. Buckhead comprises most of the Atlanta North-end neighborhoods between Interstate 85 and Interstate 75 along with several large neighborhoods to the West of I-75. It is bordered by: Cumberland and Vinings of Cobb County to the Northwest, Sandy Springs in Fulton County to the North, North Atlanta and North Druid Hills in DeKalb County to the East, midtown to the South, and finally flanked to the Southwest by Cross Creek, which together with Underwood Hills, defines the Southwest border with Bolton, Ridgewood Heights, Hills Park, Berkeley Park and a few other well-known neighborhoods that are sometimes questionably referred to by realtors as "Midtown West". Buckhead is sometimes promoted as the "Beverly Hills of the South" in reference to Beverly Hills, California, an area to which it is often compared.