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3 Tips To Avoid Disaster When Installing New Gutters

27 February 2017

Lawrence Robinson

Preventing water from pooling on your home's roof is critical when it comes to warding off serious structural damage. The gutter system that runs along your home's roofline can play a critical role in moving water safely away from your home. Installing new rain gutters can be a great way to improve the efficiency of your home's gutter system, but some important considerations must be made to prevent disaster in the future.

Here are three tips that you can use to ensure your new gutters are designed to accommodate the water-removal needs of your home.

1. Make sure your new gutters are the right size.

Many homeowners are surprised to learn that rain gutters come in many different sizes. You may think that you can simply replace your old gutters with new ones that have the same dimensions, but this decision could cause water to pool on your roof over time.

Before you purchase replacement rain gutters, consult with a professional to determine what size gutters are right for your home. The professional will be able to factor in the slope of your home's roof, the total square footage of the roof, and your area's average annual rainfall to recommend rain gutters that are large enough to keep your roof dry in the future.

2. Plan your downspouts.

Once the rain gutters running along your home's roofline have collected excess water, then need a way to dump this water away from your home. Downspouts serve as outlet points for the moisture that is removed from your roof.

You should plan to have a downspout at each corner of your home, and one in the middle of long stretches of gutter. You also need to ensure that your downspouts direct water far enough away from your home's foundation to prevent moisture from damaging the cement used to build the foundation your home sits on.

3. Make sure your gutters are slightly sloped.

While you don't want your rain gutters to be visible sloped, you do want a slight angle when installing new rain gutters to be sure that the gutters running parallel to your home's roofline can drain into the downspouts properly.

You can invest in specialized brackets when attaching new rain gutters to your home that will create a slight slope. This ensures that water won't get stuck in your gutters and allows your new gutter system to properly drain your home's roof to prevent structural damage in the future.

Installing new rain gutters is a simple and effective way to protect your home's roof from water damage. Be sure that you invest in gutters that are the right size, that you plan your downspouts properly, and that you hang your new gutters on a slight slope to ensure proper drainage.

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