Over the winter, snow and ice will no doubt have tested your home’s gutter system, and by spring you may have noticed the sagging gutters that aren’t properly aligned as they should be. Before the heavy rains that accompany the spring season, you’ll want to make sure your gutters are attached to your home by realigning them to the correct gutter pitch. Doing this will ensure your gutters are set to face anything that comes their way in the warmer months.
Why Gutter Slope is Important?
The main objective of your home’s gutter system is to usher water away from your roof and toward the downspout. A gentle gutter slope is necessary to direct the right water flow to the downspout. Sagging gutters can impede this water flow or if your gutter’s slope is too great, too much water may rush too quickly down the downspouts, potentially causing overflow or erosion.
How to Check If Your Gutter Pitch Needs Adjustment?
Professional gutter contractors are the best bet to determine if your gutter pitch needs adjustment, especially if your roof is dangerously high from the ground. However, if your home features a roof relatively low to the ground, you can test your gutter slope by using a ladder tall enough to safely get to your gutter and pouring a one-gallon bucket of water down the side of the gutter farthest from the downspout. If you have sagging gutters, the water will often pool or slow at a certain area that may require gutter adjustment. Water should run at a steady, consistent speed down the gutter to the downspout.
How to Fix the Gutter Slope
If you find you have gutter pitch issues, there are two relatively simple DIY tricks you can do. First is to check the brackets that attach the gutter to your home and make sure they are tightened adequately using a screwdriver. This could bring them back into proper alignment. Second, if you notice you have bent gutters, you may be able to gently apply pressure to realign them back into place. If after testing your gutters again by pouring water down the side of your gutter you find the problem not corrected, it may be best to call up your local gutter contractor for an assessment. Gutter contractors will know other fail points when it comes to your gutter’s pitch and will have the tools and expertise to correct the problem relatively quickly.
To learn more about gutter pitch, or to get a gutter slope assessment, call Powell’s today.
It’s more common for sectional gutters to have issues with sagging than seamless gutters. The seams are a natural fail point, especially when subjected to pressure from wind, excess debris, or ice dams. Depending on the extent of the damage, you may need to call a gutter company to replace your gutters.
