How To Tell If I Have Builder Grade Gutters

Luckily most common gutter problems are easy for homeowners to fix.

How to tell if i have builder grade gutters.

Gutters are designed to do one thing channel water away from the foundation and they re critical to protecting the structural integrity of your house. As with gutters a downspout s capacity must match or exceed the expected runoff. The standard is about inch per 10 feet. The gutter slope also called the pitch is the amount the gutter tilts down to let rainwater flow out of it.

We sit on a hill and have not had drainage problems or issues with water collection after heavy rains. The amount of collected water increases until it spills over the sides of the gutter. Increasing the pitch increases a gutter s handling capacity but the gutter may look askew over a long run. Photo courtesy of lindus construction midwest leafguard this can result in damage to your shrubs lead to surface erosion and seep into your foundation causing cracks and basement flooding.

But in order for gutters to do their job properly they have to be kept in shape and free of clogs holes and sags. Our home doesn t have a gutter system. However similarly situated homes in our neighborhood seem to have a gutter system. The above recommendations assume that you have properly sized downspouts every 40 feet.

Cheaply made builder grade gutters are susceptible to clogs which can cause a number of problems to your home says lindus. If gutters don t slope water gathers in them.