Rain gutter installation is an important investment into your home that safeguards the property against significant water damage from roof runoff. Most homeowners appreciate the need for having gutters in place to catch rainwater flowing down the roof and direct it safely away from the property. They also understand how essential it is to prevent gutter clogging with timely cleaning and debris removal. However, few people know the importance of the correct gutter pitch or slope.
Though rain gutters generally look perfectly even, these are installed at an almost imperceptible pitch to enable the downward flow of water into the downspouts. The right amount of gutter pitch is critical to an efficiently working rain gutter system. So, only skilled and experienced technicians should be hired for gutter installation.
Let us take a look at the problems created by improper gutter pitch:
Too Less Pitch
Inadequate sloping will result in no or slow water flow. The roof runoff will start collecting in the gutters, weighing them down, and putting stress on the fascia board. Very little gutter pitch also allows debris to accumulate and gradually combine with water to form sludge. The excessive weight of it all makes the gutters pull away and sag.
Too Much Pitch
Installing the gutters at a too sharp an angle also has issues. The excessive slope causes the water to flow too fast and splash out of the gutters. The uncontrolled water flow can damage the soffit and fascia. It can also go outside the downspouts to seep into the siding, soak the doors/windows, and get into cracks in the foundation. So, too much slope hampers the gutter system from performing its function effectively.
As is obvious, calculating the correct gutter pitch and achieving it is a critical aspect of gutter installation. A useful rule of thumb for the correct gutter pitch is one-fourth of an inch of slope for every 10 ft of gutters. But other significant factors like the gutter length, gutter type, and house structure are also considered to decide on the right gutter slope in a particular property.
Hiring experienced gutter installers is the best way of ensuring that your rain gutters are correctly installed at the right pitch. However, the gutter slope can be disturbed over time. Heavy rainfall, strong winds, and loosened gutter fasteners or brackets are some reasons that can alter the gutter pitch.
While periodic visual inspection of the gutters and keeping an eye on the efficiency of the gutter system can detect such changes, it is advisable to contact a gutter contractor to confirm the issue and adjust the gutter pitch accordingly.
At Tedrick’s Roofing, we offer hassle-free and flawless services for gutter installation in Auburn, WA, and the nearby areas. We have skilled gutter installers working with top-grade materials and meticulous attention to detail to put up robust, correctly pitched, durable rain gutters. Reach us at (206) 222-3150.