Although installing gutters may seem simple, there is actually an art to it. Your gutters won’t function properly if placed incorrectly – in fact, without proper gutter placement, your gutters won’t function at all. The key to ensuring your gutters will work correctly and bring water from Point A to Point B is to create the proper gutter slope.
What is a Gutter Slope?
Gutter slope, also known as gutter pitch, is the angle that a gutter slants downwards. As you can imagine, if the gutters aren’t sloped enough, the water will just pool in the gutters and spill over their sides – essentially making the gutters useless. A slope that’s too sharp however, will reduce the gutter’s holding capacity and encourage splash over. With the correct slope, your gutters can appropriately transport water to the gutter exit points – making it essential to the function of your gutters.
How to Determine the Proper Gutter Slope
A good rule of thumb for creating the perfect gutter slope is to set the gutters at ¼ of an inch, per ten feet of guttering. The downspout end of the gutter should always be lower than the other end, so if you have a downspout at both ends of a roofline, you will need to create a slope that starts in the middle and works its way down to both downspouts.
However, it’s not always this simple! Because downspouts should be installed at every 30 feet of a roofline, you may need to install multiple downspouts along the house, and therefore have multiple sloping angles. Take care to calculate the correct gutter slope for each downspout to make the installation process much easier.
How to Create the Right Rain Gutter Slope
Once you’ve calculated the correct gutter slope for the area you’re working with (using the ¼ of an inch, per ten feet of guttering rule), it’s time to map out your slope so you can appropriately install the gutters. We use a chalk line to mark where the gutters will need to be lowered to create the slope and then attach them appropriately. The chalk line allows us to visualize the slope and ensure that it is running parallel to the house and at the correct angle.
As you now understand, installing gutters isn’t an easy job, and for the most accurate and efficient installation, it should be handled by professionals. No matter if you’re ready to replace your gutters or add new ones to your home or business, our team of experts at New Vision Exteriors is the right team for the job. Give us a call today!