Gutters are essential components of a home as they divert rainwater away from foundation, siding and fascia to prevent water damage. But for gutters to do their job effectively they must be the appropriate size: undersized gutters clog easily causing overflow of rainwater onto roofing materials like fascias and foundations; while oversized ones become eyesores that collect debris.
There is a simple calculation that can assist homeowners in selecting the most suitable size gutters for their homes, based on factors like roof drainage area and maximum rainfall intensity of their location.
Step one of determining the drainage area of your roof involves measuring its height and width using a tape measure or calculator, followed by multiplying them to determine its total square footage.
Next, research the maximum rainfall intensity in your region using data from the U.S. Weather Bureau. This number indicates how much rainfall can fall over five minutes at inches per hour; as this number rises, so will your gutter size requirements.
Finally, determine the type of gutter you would like. A K-style gutter is the standard style available today, which comes in five and six inch options with six inch models having larger mouths to hold more water. In general, one foot sections of five inch gutter can support approximately 1.2 gallons while 2 gallon sections can handle this task more easily.
