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Look at any house and it most likely has a gutter system installed.  Like houses, gutters and downspouts  also come in many different styles, colors, and sizes.  While the color of a gutter system doesn’t affect how the system functions, style, and size play an important role in the effectiveness of the gutter system.

Gutter systems come in many different styles.  Some gutter systems are open-top and shaped like a “c” while some are shaped like a “k”. They’re easy to identify because the actual gutters are not covered and are completely exposed on the top.  There are also covers, filters, and screen gutter products available on the market.

In addition to style, gutters and downspouts come in different sizes.  Some gutter systems have gutters and downspouts that are smaller while some have gutters and downspouts that are larger in size.  With different sizes to choose from, you may find yourself wondering if gutter and downspout size matters. The answer is yes – continue reading to learn more.

 

Gutter Size

A gutter has two functions: collect and direct rain and meltwater away from the home’s roof and deposit it into the downspouts.  While it may not seem like it, the size of the gutter can have a major impact on the gutter system’s performance.  When a gutter is small, it’s unable to collect and direct large amounts of precipitation into the downspout, resulting in drainage issues.

When a gutter is small and isn’t able to collect and direct water to the downspouts, issues like overflowing gutters, rotting soffits and fascias, leaks, and even foundation damage can occur to the home.  Therefore, a gutter must be large enough to handle heavy amounts of rainfall to keep the water flowing throughout the gutter system.   If you live in a climate that has a very active winter with higher than average snow accumulations or rain, it’s important to have a gutter system that allows for large amounts of meltwater to move through.

For standard residential homes, 5-inch gutters are usually fine.  Material costs for 6-inch seamless gutters are almost twice those for 5-inch gutters.  Labor costs are a little higher as well. Yet, 6-inch gutters, compared to 5-inch gutters, can move roughly 40% more water.  Therefore, homes with more steeply pitched roofs and increased surface areas could benefit from a larger gutter.  The reason is that the 5-inch water trough may not be able to keep up and catch it all when there is increased velocity and volume of rainwater.  Also, if a home has larger fascia board, the 6-inch gutter may look better than the 5-inch trough.

Rain gutters come in several types, sizes, and shapes.  Profiles include U or half-round shapes, as well as K configurations.  Specifically, the gutter front, when viewed from the side, looks like the letter K.  These are made of either aluminum, galvanized steel, or copper in a standard “K” style.

Downspout Size

While there are several types of gutter systems, downspouts work the same for all.  They collect and point storm and meltwater several inches away from the home, designed to keep water away from the home’s foundation.  Much like gutters, the size of a downspout affects a gutter system’s performance.

A clog-free gutter system also has 45-degree by 45-degree inside corners that eliminate what we call “choke points” (an area inside the downspout that often accumulates debris). Because large downspouts allow for more precipitation to be pushed through the system at a faster rate, your home stays better protected against flooding and moisture retention.

Knowing how gutter and downspout size affects a gutter system’s performance, ask yourself if your current gutter system is equipped to handle heavy precipitation.  Traditional, open-top gutter systems usually have smaller gutters and downspouts that aren’t equipped to handle heavy amounts of precipitation.  When a gutter system’s gutters and downspouts fail to collect and direct all of the water away from the home then costly damage can occur, including the following: foundation damage, leaks, damage to the roof, rotting fascia boards, and more.

While rain gutters collect the rain water from the roof area, your downspouts move this water away from the foundation.  As mentioned above, for standard residential homes, 5-inch gutters are usually fine.  However, the size of the gutter is sometimes less important than the size of the downspouts.  Also, whether the gutter trough is kept clean or has any protection or cover from leaves is a factor.  Downspouts come in different sizes, such as 2×3 inches and 3×4 inches.  Therefore, instead of installing a 2×3-inch downspout on a 5-inch trough, sometimes an oversized 3×4-inch downspout will benefit the homeowner.

Better Flow Equals Fewer Clogs

The biggest appeal of larger gutters is that it promotes better flow of water.  If rainwater flows through your gutters with ease, then a clog is less likely to occur.  The larger gutters can also handle debris better than their narrower counterparts.  By reducing the risk of clogs, you are extending the life of your gutters and decreasing the amount of maintenance that you will need to perform. In addition, you are protecting your home from the dangers of water damage.

Improves Aesthetics

Larger gutters look great on a modern home that features sharp, distinct angles.  When you combine a larger diameter channel with the right material, you can give your home a striking appearance and boost curb appeal. Smaller, traditional gutters just look out of place on a modern home.

Influences the Effectiveness of Complex Layouts

Many modern homes feature a staggered roof design.  Funneling water off of these roofs and away from the foundation of the home requires a more complex gutter layout.  With that said, larger gutters tend to perform better when the drainage layout is more complicated.  Custom gutters will look and perform far better if they feature a larger diameter.