How to Choose the Right Gutter Size for Your Home

It’s important to have the right gutter size for your home. Oversized gutters would suffer from issues stemming from standing water, while undersized gutters would not be able to handle the runoff from the roof. In today’s post, gutter and roofing contractor Shine Construction Inc. shares a quick guide on how to pick the right gutter size for your home.

Factors That Determine Gutter Sizes

You’re probably wondering why you have to pick the gutter size yourself — why not just pick the same size as the old ones? Can’t your gutter contractor help you choose?

While a good gutter contractor can help guide the gutter design process, the homeowner will still need to make a few yet important decisions along the way. You can’t simply pick the exact same gutter size because the slope may have been changed during a roof replacement, or you’re considering getting a different gutter style. This is why the following factors are taken into account when calculating gutter size:

• Roof size and slope. Simply put, the bigger and steeper the roof, the faster the gutters fill up when it rains. During an initial consultation, your gutter contractor will determine the roof’s total roof area and slope, either through construction plans or by taking manual measurements.
• Local weather. Meteorological records, which includes the highest recorded rainfall in the area, are also taken into account when determining gutter size — more specifically, its maximum capacity.

Gutter Sizes and Profiles

Gutters come in two styles. There’s the traditional half-round style and the angular (and more popular) K-style. It’s important to note that these styles have different capacities — that is, K-style gutters have a greater capacity compared to half-round gutters of the same width. If you choose the latter style, your gutter contractor will therefore recommend wider troughs.

Most gutter contractors offer gutters in two sizes: five and six-inch. Five-inch gutters are usually sufficient for average-sized homes, with 9/12 slope or below. For buildings with large and steep roofs, or if the region happens to experience higher-than-average rainfall throughout the year, the six-inch would be more suitable.

To find out the right gutter size for your home, or if you want to know more about our other services including roof repair, give Shine Construction Inc. a call at (508) 278-3300. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation.