You may not think about them much, but gutters are a lot more important to your home than you think they might be: they’re a critical component of your home’s roofing and drainage system. Gutters are a long-term investment, and deciding which sort of gutters to get for your home bears thinking about. Even if many homes and buildings typically have gutters installed, few home- or building owners truly know enough about them. This is the reason behind the creation of this blog series: to give you a simplified yet comprehensive guide to the best home gutter system. Let’s start by looking at the different types of gutters.

TYPES OF GUTTERS ACCORDING TO PROFILE

Gutters come in different shapes, more appropriately termed profiles. Profiles are determined by the shape of the gutter’s cross section.

K-Style

Sometimes attached directly to the fascia, these gutters have flat bottoms and backs, while the front side usually has a decorative shape. This type of gutter is available in various styles, making for easier matching with your roof and home.

Half-Round

These gutters have a simple rounded profile, and are basically half-round tubes. This shape can be considered traditional, as many older homes have them.

Box

A newer gutter shape option, box gutters have a square profile.

Square Line

Gutters of this shape are designed to be a decorative alternative to half-round gutters.

PART I - GUTTER TYPES: WHAT YOU SHOULD GET FOR YOUR HOME

TYPES OF GUTTERS ACCORDING TO MATERIAL

Residential gutters can be made from different materials. The most popular and widely used ones are the following:

Aluminum. Most preferred by homeowners, aluminum gutters are lightweight and easy to install. They are also resistant to rust and come in various colors; they can also be painted over.

Vinyl. Gutters made of vinyl are comparable to aluminum gutters when it comes to being lightweight, durable, and maintenance-free. They can even be cheaper than aluminum. However, vinyl gutters can crack when exposed to extreme cold and won’t support ladders placed against them.

Steel. Steel gutters are very durable. However, they can be too heavy for your roof – as well as your budget.

Zinc. Zinc gutters are durable and long-lasting. They don’t need to be painted, either. However, they can be pretty costly, and installation is more complex as seams and joints must be welded. Wood. Wood gutters are primarily popular for aesthetic purposes. They can make old home restorations look more authentic, but are very susceptible to rot and damage.

PART I - GUTTER TYPES: WHAT YOU SHOULD GET FOR YOUR HOME

TRADITIONAL VS. SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Gutters come in either sectional or seamless constructions, and both offer different advantages and disadvantages.

Traditional or Sectional Gutters

Traditional gutters are installed by sections, and thus, they can also be replaced in sections. When you start seeing issues in a section or two, you can immediately have the section in question replaced to stop the problem. The downside is that sectional gutters are more prone to leakage.

Seamless Gutters

Basically continuous gutters, these are less susceptible to leaks and require less maintenance. They can also be hung more securely than sectional gutters. Often more expensive than traditional gutters, seamless gutters are not totally seamless, as there are also joints or seams at corners and gutter ends.

Choosing the best type of gutter system for your home will require learning more about the available options and considering both your home’s and your personal needs. One thing’s for sure: you’ll want one that won’t require a lot of maintenance or expense. It will also help to consult a roofing professional to make sure that the gutter will match with your roof.

In the next post, we take a look at gutter guards and downspout extensions and see why these additions are important, so stay tuned!

PART I - GUTTER TYPES: WHAT YOU SHOULD GET FOR YOUR HOME

Regardless of the type of gutter system you choose for your home, they will need some degree of maintenance and TLC. Primarily, they should be kept clean and free of clogs. However, not many of us are up to the challenge and responsibility of climbing up a ladder and getting our hands dirty. Fortunately, there is a much easier way for you to protect your gutter system, keep it free from clutter, and maintain a smooth and uninterrupted flow of water.

GUTTER GUARDS

Gutter guards, also known as gutter protection, gutter covers, or leaf guards, are designed to allow the smooth flow of water in your gutters while keeping out debris and waste such as leaves. There are different gutter protection products available on the market today. They come in various configurations and in a wide range of materials and prices, also with varying degrees of efficiency. For a gutter guard to be worthy of your investment, it must have the following characteristics:

It must be effective. A good gutter guard must be able to take on large volumes of water while stopping even the smallest piece of debris from entering the gutter.

Can be installed easily. Find a gutter protection system that can be installed without having to remove your existing gutter system, and can simply slide under your roofing shingles.

Versatile. The best gutter guards are those that can be installed over different gutter types and sizes.

It must be warrantied. Considering that a gutter guard is an additional investment, you must get a system that’s covered by warranty. This will guarantee that you are getting a quality product.

PART II - GUTTER GUARDS AND DOWNSPOUT EXTENSIONS: THE EXTRAS THAT MATTER

DOWNSPOUT AND EXTENSIONS

The downspout is an integral part of the gutter system. It is basically a pipe designed to carry water down from the roof to the ground or drainage system. Downspouts come in either a square or a round profile, with widths generally ranging from 3 to 6 inches. Decorative options, such as spiral downspouts, are also available.

The size and number of downspouts you will need will depend highly on the capacity of your gutter system. If your downspout is too small or you install fewer than you need for the amount of water that your gutter normally receives, your downspouts may not be able to draw water down effectively and quickly enough, putting your home at risk of gutter overflow.

At times, you may also need to consider a downspout extension , which can help carry water farther away from your home. By installing one, you can choose where to direct all the water; downspout extensions can solve problems such as flooding and water seeping into your home’s foundation, which arise from having too-short downspouts installed on your home.

Now that you know about the additions that can make your gutter system more efficient, it’s time to learn about common gutter problems and how to fix them. Stay tuned for the next post!

PART II - GUTTER GUARDS AND DOWNSPOUT EXTENSIONS: THE EXTRAS THAT MATTER

Bad rain gutters can greatly contribute to the deterioration of not only your roof, but your entire home as well. The primary contributing factors to gutter failure are poor design, defective installation, and lack of maintenance. In this post, we brief you about the common gutter problems that you may encounter during the lifetime of your system, and how you can fix them as well as prevent them.

CLOGGED GUTTERS

This is the most common gutter problem of all. When left untended and uncleaned for a prolonged period, gutters and downspouts can get so clogged with debris that they become useless. The weight of all the waste can also make the gutters sag and pull away from the fascia.

To keep your gutters unclogged, you must have them cleaned regularly: once or twice a year is recommended, but if you have lots of trees nearby, you’ll need to do it more often than that. If you just can’t be bothered to regularly clean your gutters, then installing a gutter protection system will be your best bet.

GUTTERS SAGGING AND PULLINGAWAY FROM THE ROOF OR HOUSE

This is usually caused by a problem with the hangers, the hardware used to secure the gutters to the fascia. If they have already deteriorated, the fasteners may have backed out of the wood. The only fix now is to replace them.

PART III - COMMON GUTTER PROBLEMS AND HOW TO FIX THEM

LEAKS AND HOLES

A common problem in old sectional gutters, leaks can be fixed by caulking the joints from the inside using gutter sealant. Small holes can also be filled with gutter sealant, but larger ones may require a patch.

IMPROPER GUTTER PITCH

Gutters need to be properly pitched toward the downspouts for water to flow properly. At least a quarter inch of slope for every 10 feet is recommended. If there is standing water in your gutter, it might not be pitched properly. Over time, this stagnant water can cause problems. Trying to correct gutter pitch on your own may be risky ; it would be safer if you have a professional check your gutters and do the job.

DOWNSPOUTS DRAINING TOO CLOSE TOTHE HOME’S WALLS OR FOUNDATIONS

Downspouts need to extend several feet from the house so that water will not be dumped right next to your home’s walls, foundations, and basement. Getting downspout extensions can fix this problem.

Gutters are designed to do one thing: channel water away from your roof and home. This may sound like a simple task, but it is actually important in preserving the structural integrity of your home. By making sure that you have a well installed, designed, maintained, and protected gutter system, you are also protecting your home from a myriad of problems. To ensure that you are getting a gutter system that matches your roof and home, consult a roofing and gutter professional who can evaluate your needs and recommend the best configurations and solutions.

PART III - COMMON GUTTER PROBLEMS AND HOW TO FIX THEM

Maggio Roofing Contractors

5505 Connecticut Ave., NW # 364

Washington, DC 20015

6476 Sligo Mill Road Takoma Park, MD 20912

(301) 891-1390

maggioroofingcontractors.com