How Wide Should Rain Gutters Be

Aluminum is the most popular material for rain gutters whether seamed or seamless.

How wide should rain gutters be.

Is bigger really always better. Most times these style gutters are installed with rectangular downspouts. Better protection from water damage. A k style gutter in the same inch width can handle twice as much water as a half round gutter.

Gutters can range anywhere from 4 inches to 8 inches wide but 5 and 6 inch gutters are the most common. 6 inch 7 960 square feet. If your home needs to handle intense storms you can either install wider gutters or install more or wider downspouts to drain water away more quickly. The above recommendations assume that you have properly sized downspouts every 40 feet.

Here are 3 benefits of large rain gutters. As with gutters a downspout s capacity must match or exceed the expected runoff. 5 gutter would have been inadequate during a heavy rain squall. 5 inch 5 520 square feet.

Increasing the pitch increases a gutter s handling capacity but the gutter may look askew over a long run. The standard is about inch per 10 feet. They come in 5 inch to 6 inch widths. K style gutters are the most common option and they provide optimum drainage for the majority of homes in most of the u s.

While the thinnest. I recently finished a home with a large steep roof 2 3rds of which on each side of the house fed into a narrow section between two gable dormers. 025 inch 027 inch and 032 inch. You need wide gutters of 5 or 6 inches in order for a large amount of water to fall into the gutter at high speed and not past.

There has been a lot debate over whether most homes really need large rain gutters the over sized 6 inch 7 or 8 inch variety or if the standard 5 inch gutter will do. Then use the chart below to see what size gutter you need. If a roof s various drainage areas call for different size gutters go for the biggest one k style. That said gutters need to be completely level from front to back or water could spill over either edge.

Aluminum gutters come in three standard thicknesses. Drip edge varies in dimensions but typically the flange that nails to the roof surface is about 2 5 wide and the vertical edge that directs roof runoff down and away is about 1 5 in depth. Gutters should slope an inch or two for every 40 feet.