Gutters are recommended for most homes. But whether they are absolutely necessary depends on the answer to 2 major questions:

1. How much rain must the roof handle?

2. Where does the water drain?

Without gutters, a building needs some feature that ensures rain runoff is directed safely away from its foundation. If the overhang from the roof is extended far enough, the water will drain a safe 6 feet away. This is an unusual circumstance. Eaves on most homes stick out only 2 to 3 feet.

If the building is located in an arid climate where there is very little rain, then gutters might not be required. Again, this is a highly unusual situation. So, most buildings require properly maintained gutters of some sort.

Why Don’t New Homes Have Gutters?

Some builders have been known to leave gutters off new houses. The reason is fairly simple. Guttering can create warranty issues with eaves and overhangs because the gutter needs to be nailed into the fascia. There, it can create wear and tear and water damage over time. Crafty construction businesses know gutters are required. Yet they want other companies to handle the warranty for this work. This can save them a lot of money over an extended period of time.

Building contractors can get away with this because homes often look finished without gutters. If a buyer of a new home asks about gutters, the builder can always recommend another company to do the work. Their excuse is often that they are not in the gutter business and custom built ones will work better anyway. So, if you are planning to buy a new home, remember to ask for an additional discount to cover the cost of having gutters installed.

Gutters with guards are often touted as being basically maintenance free. While they may keep out some debris, they don’t protect against colonization by social wasps that prefer secluded areas to build their nests. You should inspect your gutters regularly and be on the lookout for any wasp activity in the vicinity of your roof.

European paper wasps are the most likely species you will encounter when cleaning your gutters. These insects typically only become aggressive and sting when their nests are disturbed. However, a home owner cannot ignore gutter maintenance to avoid the danger posed by wasps. A large paper wasp nest can easily clog the gutter system and make it basically useless. Also, one nest can turn into many in a fairly short period of time when the population is left unchecked. Young queens will build new nests as soon as they have the opportunity and will look for protected places to hibernate over the winter.

Controlling Social Wasps

Inspection for paper wasps is particularly important during the spring and autumn. The fall months are when the male drones are raised and the entire colony becomes easily agitated. These males fertilize numerous female queens who will then start building nests the next spring. The only effective method to control these pests is to spray a colony with wasp killer as soon as you detect the nest.

Spraying at dawn or dusk is most likely to kill the whole nest’s population. Wear heavy protective clothing and place the ladder as far as possible from the site you are spraying while still being in range to spray accurately. You don’t want the wasps swarming around you and causing you to lose your balance in a panic. After the nest’s population is completely eradicated, you may be able to use a coat hanger to detach the nest. If the nest is small enough, you can then use a hose to wash it through the downspout. Otherwise, you will have to disassemble that section of gutter to remove the nest.

Wooden gutters are relatively rare. These days, they are a specialty item that can add a great deal of value to a home. They tend to be very strong and sturdy as well as being attractive. Wood gutters are almost exclusively found on older houses – especially those designed in the Victorian style. Depending on consistency of maintenance and the type of wood they are made from, these gutters can last up to 100 years.

The main reason to install wooden gutters as opposed to other types is to improve the exterior aesthetics of the home. Often, they are designed to blend in with the natural façade and the eaves on the building. Sometimes, the only way to tell that gutters are actually present is when you spot the downspouts.

Wooden gutters have fallen out of favor because of the material’s high cost. Builders prefer to install vinyl or metal gutters. However, home owners are beginning to choose wooden gutters again. This resurgence in popularity is most evident in California and a few other areas along the West coast.

Wooden gutters can be cut in a variety of shapes to optimize both their look and performance. The material has a somewhat rough surface compared to metal and plastic. So, wooden gutters tend to be cut larger or deeper than standards gutters so they can handle the required volume of rainwater. Redwood is the preferred species of wood because it is both strong and resistant to water penetration. Painting once a year helps ensure consistent performance and to keep peeling to a minimum.

If there’s one industry that pulls no punches in calling out the competition on perceived design flaws, it’s gutter guard vendors. The various manufacturers and distributors love to talk about how their own product works great and rarely (if ever) gets clogged. Then, they go on to point out all the customer complaints about competing products. Here’s a sampling of some of the claims made by Leafless in Seattle about typical reverse curve gutter guard designs and why they don’t work as well as they should:

The surface tension of the flowing water is supposed to guide it over the leading edge of the reverse curve and into the gutter trough. Debris should slide off the edge and onto the ground. However, it is sometimes possible for flexible, waterlogged leaves, pine needles, and catkins to enter into the gutter along with the water flow. Dirt and grit may also enter and create sludge in the gutters.

In addition, nesting insects such as wasps can creep in through the gap where the water is supposed to enter the gutter. If they take up residence inside, it can be very difficult to eliminate them. Although some guards make allowances for the need to clean the system regularly, others make the trough very difficult to access.

According to the folks at Leafless, their system avoids all these issues because it is literally impossible for any animal, vegetable, or mineral to enter the gutter through their fine steel mesh. This claim is backed by a money back warranty if the system ever clogs, so maybe there’s something to it!

Even if your gutters don’t get clogged, it’s possible for water to pool near your foundation and cause damage. Or, if you have a basement the rain water might leak into your home interior. These problems are most likely to happen if your downspouts aren’t configured properly. Diverting water away from your house is critical for proper downspout performance.

Splashblocks are one of the most common water dispersal devices. While they do keep water from digging a trough in the soil at the end of the downspout, they don’t do much to prevent pooling. An extension does a much better job of carrying water far from your foundation. There are several extender options:

Fixed – This is just a straight length of downspout that fits onto the end of the existing spout. It makes makes the spout longer so that the water ends up further from the house.

Flexible – This style can be bent or curved like a bendable straw. It is used to direct rainwater in the desired direction across the lawn – for example, into an area that drains easily into the storm sewers.

Jointed – An elbow style extender can be flipped up out of the way when not in use so you don’t have to mow around it.

Retractable – This sleeve style extender is attached to the end of the downspout and is pushed out by the force of the rainwater. A spring causes it to roll back up after the rain stops.

Collector – A rain barrel is the most frequently used rain collection system. However, it will easily overflow in a heavy downpour. A drainage system that pipes water into a cistern or other reservoir is required if you want to capture a significant amount of rainwater.

Gutter downspouts can become clogged by all sorts of debris. Twigs, silt, leaves, catkins, and more can drop into the trough and get swept along the gutters creating a logjam. When a downspout becomes clogged, water doesn’t drain quickly and the gutters will overflow dumping water around the foundation of your home. Spouts that are completely clogged permit water to pool in the gutters providing an ideal environment for algae, mold, and mosquito larvae.

This scummy water can smell pretty bad, so be prepared when you climb up a ladder to check your gutters. Wear work gloves and bring a tool to scrape out as much debris as you can. A hand trowel works well. You can also pull twigs and leaves out of the top of the downspout with a pair of metal tongs.

Some people recommend using a wire hanger or a plumber’s snake to push debris down the spout. However, this can puncture the downspout if you aren’t careful. Use a hose with a high pressure spray head to wash clogged materials out of the length of the downspout. If that doesn’t work, you will have to disassemble the spout and remove the clog manually.

Keep It Draining

To prevent future clogs, cut tree branches well away from your roof. Consider installing a wider downspout that is less prone to obstruction. You may also use a guard, screen, leaf strainer, or filter to keep debris out of the spout opening. Some of these are installed at the top of the downspout. The DrainGuard is a little different since it puts a filter about halfway down the spout where it is easy to clean out. Whichever system you use, you will need to perform a full maintenance check every 6 months and a spot check after any significant storm event.

If you have a small leak in your gutters, it is possible to patch just the affected area. However, where there is one hole more will probably develop over time – especially if your gutters are fairly old. This means it may save you time and trouble to proactively stop leaks. You can do this by installing a liner along the entire width of the gutter.

This material may consist of a geosynthetic membrane or aluminum fixed in a self adhesive matrix. Either type of material can generally be cut to the desired width with scissors or a utility knife. The liner is slipped into place just under the hangers along the entire length of the trough for full coverage. Using a single, uninterrupted piece of liner reduces the risk of leaking since there will be no overlapped areas.

A gutter liner kit will generally come with a caulk gun and adhesive for putting the gutter back together and sealing all the seams (such as around the downspouts). Aluminum faced liners can be painted, but since they are hidden inside the gutter this is not absolutely necessary.

DIY Or Hire It Out

This is a project that you can do yourself if you don’t mind working on a ladder. Whether you actually need to remove the gutter from the house depends on the type of liner used. It is possible to hire a gutter company to do this job. The labor costs will make the job more expensive than it would be otherwise, but it is still much cheaper than having new gutters installed.

Some liner manufacturers claim that their products can extend the life of a gutter system by 10 years. However, if your gutters have large holes caused by corrosion or serious damage from a storm, a liner isn’t the appropriate solution.

In the northern U.S. where snow storms are an unavoidable winter weather phenomenon, a house can really take a beating. Gutters are at particular risk for damage as snow slides down the roof and collects in the upturned troughs. Melting and refreezing cause an even bigger problem – ice accumulation. Ice can become heavy enough to rip a gutter system free from its moorings. It can also build up in the gutter and downspout preventing proper drainage.

There are a number of heating systems that are designed to melt ice and snow and prevent it from accumulating. The simplest approach is to run heater cables through the gutters and downspouts. These come in varieties that can simply be plugged into an outdoor electrical outlet. Others must be directly connected to a junction box.

These heaters may need to stay turned on all the time in winter or be manually switched on by the homeowner prior to a severe weather event. Or, they can be self regulating and only activate when the weather is cold enough for ice or snow storms to occur. Most home improvement advisers suggest using 2 cables side by side for adequate melting power.

The heater cap may offer a somewhat more sophisticated approach. This type of system is composed of heated panels rather than cables. These effectively disperse heat to prevent buildup of snow and ice along the gutter line. The panels can be installed over a gutter guard or directly in the gutter and downspouts.

Unlike aluminum or vinyl, galvanized metal gutters will eventually corrode over time. When spots rust through, your gutters will start to leak. A few drips here and there might not seem so bad, but holes caused by rust tend to grow. When they reach the point where water is pouring through and pooling around your foundation, you may be stuck with replacing whole sections of gutter. It is much cheaper to simply patch spots before they get out of control.

Steps for Gutter Repair

• Clean the leaky area with water to remove dirt and debris
• Scrub the rust off with a wire brush
• Paint the area with a rust resistant coating such as Zin Cote 601
• Coat the leaky area with plastic roofing cement. Wear gloves when working with the cement so it doesn’t get on your hands.
• For larger holes, cut a piece of plastic from a milk jug and press it down over the sticky cement making sure there is a good seal all the way around the patch. You can also use heavy duty aluminum foil for patch material.

Additional Tip: For leaky gutter seams – especially in downspouts – use silicone caulk to plug the leak. Scrape off the existing sealant with a wire brush and wipe the metal down with paint thinner prior to applying the caulk.

Custom gutters come in lots of varieties, but you will rarely find a material as beautiful and practical as copper. The pricing of this metal fluctuates with the market, but you can generally get these installed for under $25 per foot.

New Copper Gutters

Do you have a custom roof made from slate, metal, or cedar shakes? You might not want to detract from its stunning appearance by adding cheap vinyl gutters. Using copper for the gutter system in these situations may be ideal.

What To Expect

Copper doesn’t rust because (like aluminum) it develops a very thin oxidized film over its entire surface. This provides some protection for the underlying material. Oxidation causes copper’s first color change from metallic pink/orange to rich, reddish brown.

Sulfur mixed with moisture in the atmosphere creates the gradual change to green patina. This final sulfate coating is highly resistant to corrosion and protects copper over the long term. This finish can take more than a decade to develop depending on the specific atmospheric conditions in your area.

Style Choices

Half round and K-style gutters are the basic choices available for copper gutter systems. The half round style often costs more up front but is easier to clean because of its open profile. Both styles are durable and can be installed on modern and historical homes by using the appropriate hangers or brackets.

French drains offer a solution to the pooling of water next to your home’s foundation after a torrential downpour. These drainage trenches redirect water away from your house and act as underground gutters.

In their simplest form, French drains are open trenches that are 2 or more feet deep and approximately 12 inches wide. They can be used to intercept water flowing down from higher ground.

The idea is to have gravity take control as the trench slopes about 1 quarter of an inch per foot down to where you want the drain to end. This provides a path for the rain water to run along uninterrupted.

For safety reasons and to prevent erosion, large gravel is often used to fill in the trenches. The water simply flows through the pores created by the piled stones. This fill materials provides structure to the trench so that it doesn’t collapse inward. 

Sophisticated French Drains

Modern French drains include a 4 inch diameter perforated drainage pipe. This component is laid down on top of the first 2 inches of gravel in the trench. The holes in the pipe face downward. The pipe is then completely covered with 4 to 6 inches of gravel.

The top layer of gravel is covered with a fabric liner. Then, top soil can be added as a finishing touch. In this way a seamless landscape is created and the French drain is hidden from sight.

This approach can allow the drain to remain working for decades because it will not easily get clogged. If it does get clogged, a plumper’s pipe snake will easily fix the problem. A properly built French drain should last a lifetime.

Rain chains are Japanese style drainage mechanisms used in gutter systems. These are alternatives to downspouts. They use surface tension to help guide rain water gently to the ground. Although heavy rainfall can sometimes overwhelm this system, it doesn’t get clogged. The more surface area there is on the chain, the more water it can handle.

Some of these drainage devices are simple chain links that can be bought at hardware stores. You can easily make one of these yourself. Other rain chains are very ornate and include double and triple ring links or a series of copper cups. Figurines such as small fish or tiny umbrellas may be intermixed with the links. The artisans who make these chains can get very creative. This doesn’t compromise the rain chain’s ability to perform.

Installing Your Rain Chain

This is easy. All you need is a gutter installation clip and an anchor to mount the chain in the ground at the other end. Simply disassemble the old downspout from your existing gutters. Attach and secure the installation clip in the hole left by removing the old downspout. Fasten the rain chain to that clip.

Secure the other end of the rain chain by driving the anchor into the ground. Make sure the connection is strong and the chain is fairly taut. This prevents it from whipsawing back and forth during high winds.

It is also a good idea to place gravel or other small stones around the anchor. Bury the anchor several inches deep if possible. This helps keep the rainwater from eroding the soil around the anchor and causing it to loosen or break free from its mooring.