Gutters

No roofing system is complete without an appropriate guttering system

The roof protects the home from the elements, and that is important. However, any water that lands on the roof needs to also be directed off the roof and away from the home. If water is allowed to drip off the roof straight to the ground, the water can cause erosion, flood basements and even weaken foundations undermining the structural integrity of the home. Additionally, improperly directed water will also damage landscaping – both yours and your neighbor’s. Gutters and downspouts are critical for the whole water-shedding system to work properly.

“While having gutters and downspouts is very important, the following are a few things you can do to ensure they will be able to work as intended:

1. The gutters need to be installed correctly. This means they need to have the right pitch to ensure the water drains the correct direction (towards the downspouts) and does not pool. It also means that the gutters are installed behind the eave metal (drip edge) between the drip edge and the fascia. This will protect the fascia because the drip edge will direct the water to drip into the gutters. Without the drip edge, much of the water will go behind the gutters and onto the fascia. Gutters should never be installed without drip edge, and they should never be installed in front of the drip edge.
2. The gutters and downspouts need to be sized correctly. If you live in an area that experiences strong rain, an undersized gutter and downspout system will not be able to keep up with the water pouring off the roof, and the water will overflow the gutters. An undersized system could mean the gutters are not wide enough to catch all the water. It could mean the downspouts are not large enough to keep up with the water collected by the gutters. It could also mean there are simply not enough downspouts to keep up with the water in the gutters.
3. The gutters and downspouts need to be clean and free from debris so the water can flow as intended. A clogged gutter system cannot divert the water away from the house. We recommend clearing your gutters regularly – probably twice a year if you live in an area with trees that drop leaves onto the roof. An easy way to keep the gutters free from debris and to avoid needing to clear the gutter yourself is to install gutter covers. Not all gutter covers are created equal. Please speak with one of our gutter specialists to learn more about which gutter covers we recommend.