How to Choose Gutter Size for Your Home
Are you on the hunt for the right gutter size for your home? Every home will need gutters, but no two homes are exactly alike.
There is much to consider when choosing the right gutters, including size, material, and cost. Since there are two standard sizes, 5 inch or 6 inch, we wanted to break down the factors that determine which is the right size for you.
Signs that You Need New Gutters
When your gutters start to show signs of severe wear and tear – it might be time to look into replacement. Signs to be on the lookout for include, cracks, holes, leaks or sagging away from the house. Water leaks or overflows from your gutters can cause tremendous damage to your home. From rotten fascia to interior leaks, damage created by deteriorating gutters is not something that you should ignore.
Factor 1: Cost
The number one factor when determining which gutters will work for your home is the amount you are comfortable spending. Due to the amount of material needed, 6-inch gutter will cost more than 5-inch gutters. However, the labor cost will be the same. On average it will be a 20% price increase to upgrade to the 6-inch gutters.
Factor 2: Capacity
Since gutters are designed to drain water away from a home, it’s important to estimate the amount of water your gutter will potentially carry.
A 1-foot length of a 5-inch gutter will hold 1.2 gallons of water. Whereas a 1-foot length of 6-inch gutter will hold 2 gallons of water. That is a 40% increase in capacity with 6-inch gutters.
If you are having issues with your gutters and see water flowing over the gutters, that could be a sign that your gutters are clogged, or they are undersized.
When we visit homes in the Memphis area that are having gutter problems, it is usually because the home has the original 5-inch gutters used by home builders to cut costs.
The lack of capacity to hold enough water for the size of the home leads to a lot of rotten fascia and even leaks that are going into the home.
Factor 3: Applications
So, when is it appropriate to have a 5-inch gutter and when is it best to have a 6-inch gutter?
5-Inch
We recommend the 5-inch gutters when your home’s roof has a low slope and is not steep. A low slope on a smaller home is going to cause the water to role slower and less water will collect into the gutters.
However, a large home with a low slope would need to upgrade to the 6-inch gutters.
6-Inch
We recommend upgrading to the 6-inch gutters when a home has multiple slopes feeding into one valley. Homes that are very steep and have all the slopes feeding into one gutter need to have a 6-inch gutter to collect and prevent the water from backing into the home. The 6-inch gutter is wider to catch more debris and hold 40 percent more water.
When determining the right size gutter for your home, we like to learn the history of the home and look at the roof to make an assessment. If you are interested in gutters for your new build or replacing your old gutters, give us a call for a free inspection. We will work with you to give you the peace of mind that you won’t have to worry about your gutters for years to come.
Contact us at 901-563-8645 or click here to set up a free estimate. We offer inspections that are easy and completed quickly. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more tips on taking care of your roof.
