Gutter Replacement Tips: How Big Should Your New Gutters Be?
When installing new guttering for your roofing system, one of the issues that will concern you is what size to choose. This is especially true if you feel like the reason your old gutters got worn or damaged was due to their small size. So how do you determine the ideal size for your new gutters? What factors come into play when determining the best gutter size that will effectively drain water from the roof and away from your foundation? Read on to find out.
Amount of rainfall in your area
Gutters are meant to direct rainwater away from the roof, so it is only practical that rain should be the first thing you consider. In this case, you want to determine how much rain you receive in your area during the wettest months of the year. Heavy downfalls will wear down a small gutter system; therefore, if there are times when the rains are extreme, it would be good to go with big gutters. This will prevent gutter flooding, which will cause water to leak and drain in your home's foundation. However, if your area doesn't receive extremely heavy rains at any time of the year, smaller gutters would be ideal for your roof.
The size of your home
The size of your home will determine whether you have a large or small roof. With a small-sized roof, less rainwater will be hitting the surface as compared to if you had a large roof. Ideally, a large roof will require big gutters to hold the water while a small one will only need small gutters. A roofing contractor can help you estimate the best size that will effectively collect the water from the roof based on the size of the home.
The pitch of the roof
Your roof's pitch will also be an essential factor when choosing the best gutter size. If your roof is quite steep, it means that rainwater will be flowing down the shingles at a faster rate as compared to if you had a flat or slightly pitched roof. As a result, more water will be contained in the gutters at a time, so they should be large enough to handle the high volume. If your gutters are small, the fast-flowing water will run right over them and pour on the sides of your home. It would be as if you didn't even have any gutters in the first place.
Work with an experienced roofing contractor so that they can help you use these factors to find the best gutter size that will suit your roofing structure.
