Winter weather can alter the gutter pitch causing problems.

 Now that the winter is winding down, your gutters may have shifted and the gutter pitch may need to be adjusted. The weight of snow and ice can easily cause the gutters to come away or drop from the fascia board which supports the gutters.  Too little gutter pitch and there’s not enough flow to remove debris in the gutter and too much pitch makes the house look unbalanced. You may also loose some of the gutters holding capacity. An important factor when installing the gutter is to use a .32 gauge heavy aluminium.  A lesser gauge cannot support the weight of NJ winters.
Support for the gutter is also an important factor – All gutters are attached to your house by mounting system, and the hangers need to be carefully spaced close together. Without the correct support, the rain gutters will sag. Water will collect in the lower places, tugging at your gutter system, until eventually the whole system will be ripped off your home.

Below are the guidelines for the “perfect pitch”.

Gutters may look perfectly even, but it’s a carefully crafted illusion. Gutters actually have a slight pitch that allows water to flow towards the downspouts.  It’s very gradual and not noticeable, but it helps sweep away debris and keeps your gutters clean, and allows water to flow to the downspouts without overwhelming them, thus backing up the system Gutter runs 30 feet long or more should have a downspout installed at each end, pitching the gutter from the center towards each downspout.

Experienced gutter installers know how to pitch the gutters. Many times they will use a level to insure accuracy.  Sometimes the structure on which the gutters are installed, will determine the appropriate amount of pitch to have the gutters work efficiently.

Gutter cleaning and your gutters – if you do not maintain the gutters during the year and enter the heavy winter season with left-over debris in the gutters this will contribute to the loss of pitch on the gutters.
Keltom Gutter Service, Inc. services 13 counties in NJ and is a year-round company. We clean gutters year round not just during the heavy Fall season.  Call today for a written estimate on gutter repairs and installations. Gutter cleaning prices are provided right over the phone.