How Much Drop Should My Gutters Have

Increasing the pitch increases a gutter s handling capacity but the gutter may look askew over a long run.

How much drop should my gutters have. The standard is about inch per 10 feet. Gutter installation should follow a couple basic rules. This allows the water to flow gently but. But before you do make sure they actually need replacement.

Gutters should slope an inch or two for every 40 feet. The water should roll off these shingles and drop straight down into the gutter. Gutters need to be pitched at a 5 degree angle. The shingles should extend past the top flange of the drip edge.

The gutter should be mounted on the face of the fascia so that its run which must be sloped towards the downspout lies below the drip edge flashing at all times. This means the downspout end of the gutter should be set 3 4 of an inch lower than the other end. For example for every 10 feet of gutter they need to drop 1 2 inch from the high end to the downspout. This brings up another important rule to keep in mind.

A square inch of downspout can drain 1 200 square feet of roof during a rain with an intensity of one inch per hour. To ensure the adequate drainage your gutters should be pitched approximately inch per 10 feet. That said gutters need to be completely level from front to back or water could spill over either edge. Doubling the number of downspouts halves the required capacity for each.

Since rain gutters and downspouts can be even more conspicuous than the roof itself you should choose new ones with at least as much care. For example if you have 30 feet of guttering the calculation is 1 4 x 3 0 75 i e. So if you have a 25 foot section of guttering you should set the downspout end of the gutter 5 8 of an inch lower 1 4 x 2 5 5 8 than the other end. Gutters must be pitched so water will flow to the downspouts.

Most contractors tend to set the slop at one quarter inch per ten feet of guttering. All guttering must slope toward the nearest downspout. Size downspouts to fit the gutter. Roof area the locale s rainfall intensity and gutter capacity determine how many square inches of downspout are needed.