The gutters of your home are more important than you may realize, as they keep water from pooling around the home's exterior, so the house will be less likely to suffer water damage and leaks; this also protects the lawn, as pooling water can easily ruin grass, flowers, and other such vegetation. Because residential gutters are so important, you might note a few commonly asked questions about their installation and maintenance, and this can help ensure your home's gutters are always in good repair.
How long do gutters last?
There is no standard answer as to how long gutters last, since this will depend on the material of the gutters, how well you maintain them, if they're the right size for your home and if they were properly installed. If gutters are undersized and neglected, they may only last a few years, whereas quality gutters that are well-maintained may last as long as a home's roof, or even longer! Whatever the case, don't assume that you can neglect even quality gutters, but have them checked for loose connectors and other issues every year or even more often, and have them cleaned out as often as necessary as well.
What are seamless gutters?
Since gutters are very long and need to fit the entire side of the house, they are often made of several sections of metal that are then connected or fastened together. Seamless gutters are made from one long piece that is usually only fastened at the corners of the home, or when they need to work around certain obstacles. Having few if any seams means there is less chance that the gutters will leak or sag.
What does it mean to pitch and slope gutters?
If gutters sat perfectly level, the water they catch would never drain. To direct water to downspouts, gutters are sloped downward at a slight angle. For very large homes with overly long gutters, it may be difficult to slope gutters all the way to the downspouts without them hanging too far down from the roof's corners. Instead, longer gutters are pitched; this means that the middle of the gutters is at the highest point, and they then slope downward toward both the left and the right. Both the slope and the pitch need to be at a certain angle, so if you're replacing your own gutters and aren't sure how this is done, it can be good to have a professional install your gutter replacements instead.
Share23 October 2017
Hello, my name is Ryan and this is my blog. I don't work in the roofing industry but I recently had to spend a week on the roof of my home trying to fix it up. I am pretty good at DIY, but in the end, I had to call in a roofing contractor to help me out. I decided to replace the entire roof and that wasn't a job I was going to take on my own. I have learnt a lot during the past few weeks and I hope to use this blog to pass on some of my knowledge.