According to the experts at Global Gutter Systems, when it comes to a rain gutter installation, proper placement is vital. If you put your gutters in the wrong place, there is a risk of them not working effectively, which can be the same as not having them at all.
The purpose of rain gutters is to keep water away from the home and prevent problems such as damp and mildew, which can cause further damage. If rain gutters are not working effectively, rainwater from the roof will run down the side of the walls and into the basement or foundations. If this is allowed to happen over a prolonged period, it can erode the soil around the house and cause major problems, like subsidence.
It is worth noting though that while it is important to position gutters correctly, you also need to make sure that the downpipe is in the correct position. Installing a gutter system means using the right type of materials and accessories to ensure the job is done well. Here’s what you need to know.
You Need to Choose the Right Gutters
You might be surprised to know that there is plenty of choice when it comes to gutters. They can be made from different materials, come in different shapes, and are available in various sizes and styles. It is therefore essential that you choose correctly. If you select a gutter system that is not wide enough for the amount of water it needs to hold, you will have problems with water overflowing over the top.
The Pitch Must be Correct
Rain gutters need to be pitched so that they slope slightly but not so much that it is noticeable to the naked eye, or it would not look very aesthetically pleasing. The slope is necessary to allow the rainwater to run into the downspout away from the house. As a rule, the guttering should slope at a rate of between a quarter and a half inch for every ten feet of guttering.
The Gutters Must be Placed in the Right Position
It’s not as simple as just tacking the guttering on to the side of the house and hoping for the best. As well as calculating the correct slope, you need to make sure that the gutters are positioned correctly too. This means placing them carefully under the roofline so that water runs from the roof directly into the guttering rather than dripping over the sides, which can happen if they are too low or too high. The correct placement is between two and three inches under the roofline.
You Need to Have Enough Hangers
Guttering is attached to the perimeter of a house with what are known as hangers or brackets. How and where these are spaced depends on the length of guttering and on how much rainfall there usually is in the area you live. For example, if you live in a warm climate with little annual rain, you can have fewer hangers spaced around 3 feet apart. However, if your gutters need to handle large amount of annual rainfall, then make sure the hangers are spaced no more than 1.5 feet apart.
The Downspout Must be Correctly Placed
The rain that is collected in the guttering needs to go somewhere and this is what the downspout or downpipe is for. They are usually placed at the corner of the building at the lowest point of the slope, and they run down the building with an open-ended elbow at the bottom from which the water can flow. The downspout should sit over a drain into which the water can flow.