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WHY ARE YOUR GUTTERS OVERFLOWING? – FAMILY ROOFING

Posted on November 21, 2023 by David Reid

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WHY ARE YOUR GUTTERS OVERFLOWING?

Gutters and downspouts collect and move rainwater away from your home’s foundation. B ut if they don’t work efficiently, it can lead to water damage to your roof, fascia, and even your home’s foundation. There are several reasons your gutters may be making a bit too much of a splash, including clogs or poor positioning.

An Abundance of Rain

While the purpose of your gutters is to handle rain, heavy downpours can cause overflows that result in sagging, breaking, or other telltale signs that you need to install new gutters. If your home is located in a rainy climate, common aluminum and vinyl gutters may not be enough. Consider upgrading to galvanized steel gutters that are designed to handle wet weather and downpours for up to 30 years without sagging or rusting. Due to the need for soldering, galvanized steel gutters require professional installation.

Too Few Gutters and Downspouts

If gutters don’t line your roof on all sides that are parallel to the ground, they may overflow. This is also the case with downspouts, the vertical pipes that send the water out of your gutters and into the ground away from your home. Too few downspouts can also lead to overflow because there aren’t enough of them to pick up the slack. One downspout is required for every 25 to 35 linear feet of gutter to prevent overflow. You can also add extra downspouts to help the flow along if you’re in an area with heavy rainfall levels. The maximum allowable length between downspouts is 40 feet.

Undersized Gutters

Small or insufficient gutters could lead to water overflow because they can’t handle the water volume. If you suspect undersized gutters are to blame, contact a roofing or gutter professional in your area to assess the size and quantity of your gutters. The most common gutter size is the 5-inch gutter. This size works well for ranches, small to mid-sized homes, and areas with less rain. But if you live in a rainy area or have a larger home with a large or steep roof, the 6-inch gutters may be recommended.

Clogged Gutters and Downspouts

You’ve likely noticed that a rainstorm can bring lots of debris like leaves and branches with it. This debris can fill and clog your gutters and downspouts. With the debris blocking the movement of rainwater, it’s left with no option but to overflow. You can handle this problem by investing in clog-resistant gutters for your home or cleaning your gutters when the seasons change. This is a job you can do yourself if you’re comfortable on a ladder.

Gutters Positioned Incorrectly

During installation, gutters are lined up and placed at specific angles. Their position is important because it helps direct the flow of water down and away from your home. If your gutters aren’t aligned the right way, it can lead to overflow. If you’ve checked for debris and you have the correctly sized gutters in the correct number, and you’re still dealing with overflowing gutters, call a gutter installation professional in your area to investigate the problem.

If you suspect that something is off, have your gutter slope checked. Also known as gutter pitch, gutter slope refers to the angle of the downward slant of your gutters along the path of water flow. While you can sometimes perceive that gutters are “off” with your eyes, it usually takes an inspection to confirm that you have improper gutter slope. Anytime we see water going over the end cap of the gutter we automatically assume the gutter pitch is off. All gutters are tilted or “pitched” so the water easily flows towards the downspout. Since water is not able to flow uphill all the gutters must be pitched in accordance with the downspout locations. Sometimes the downspouts are on the sides of the home and the water has to make it around a few corners to get there. As long as everything it pitched correctly the water will flow properly.

Whenever you see water going over the end cap or sometimes even leaking through the end cap the gutter is tilted the wrong way. The water should never not be moving towards the downspout. The solution to this problem is to have the gutter re-pitched to the proper direction. If the gutter was back pitched for a long period of time the end cap seal might have worn off. You’ll see the water seeping through the end cap if this has happened. To fix it you’ll need to re-seal the end cap with a waterproof based sealant. We always suggest scraping the old caulk away before applying a new seal.

Loose Gutters

Gutters that have become loose will leak or overflow in different ways depending on how loose the gutter is. For example, a gutter that is slightly loose may only have a little water going behind the gutter that flows down the wall. Whereas, if the same gutter was about to fall off of the home all of the water would be pouring out of the gutter like a bucket.

If this gutter isn’t resecured with new hardware soon it could fall of the wall. All it takes is one major storm. If you can see the inside of your gutter from the ground or street level chances are that your gutter is “leaning” or is “tilted.” Once the gutter tilts or leans the water will just fall out, causing overflowing gutters. Sometimes when the gutters are loose ,the gutter will fill all the way up with water. Then once it gets to a certain point the whole gutter shifts and dumps the water out on its own like a troth.

Fascia Board Damage

When the water is going behind the gutter it is sometimes hard to tell the cause from the ground. First check the downspouts during rain to see if water is coming through them. If no water comes out of the downspouts then they are clogged. You can determine if it is a pitch issue by checking if the overflow is happening near a downspout. Loose gutters you can usually see a gap behind the gutter . If you check all 3 of those items off the list then your left with drip edge issues.

Water going behind the gutters is a major problem to your home. Gutters are mounted to a trim board called fascia board. This wood needs to stay solid so it can support the weight from the gutters. However, if the wood is in contact with water it will eventually become soft and start to rot.

Final Thoughts

A functional gutter system is an essential component of every home. It protects it from water damage that may deteriorate vital pieces of your house. Leaking, clogged, or overflowing gutters are issues you should address immediately. While you can’t prevent rain from falling, you can avoid the problems it causes by learning and investing in preventive measures.