Change Gutter Slope

If gutters slope too severely they don t hold water and water could splash over the sides in heavy rain.

Change gutter slope. Multiply the number of feet by 1 16 inch to determine the total slope the gutter requires. So if you have a 25 foot section of guttering you should set the downspout end of the gutter 5 8 of an inch lower 1 4 x 2 5 5 8 than the other end. A gutter apron is a bent piece of flashing that tucks up under the shingles and over the gutter. The gutter should have a quarter inch of slope per 10 feet.

Measure from the roof edge at both ends of the gutter if you want to be sure. If gutters don t slope water gathers in them. For spans longer than 40 feet it s wise to have a downspout on each end and start the high spot of the gutter in the center. For gutter runs longer than 40 feet it s best to pitch the gutter down from the middle to a downspout at each end.

If your gutters don t slope then you only need to adjust the hangers and lower them slightly where necessary to achieve the correct slope. The amount of collected water increases until it spills over the sides of the gutter. A good guideline is that the pitch should cause a decrease somewhere between 1 to 2 inches over a 40 foot run. To ensure that gutters drain properly make certain they slope inch for every 10 feet toward a downspout.

To get started measure the side of the house directly under the gutter to determine its length in feet. So what s the ideal amount of slope for your gutters. Pull the gutter down about 3 quarters of an inch lower than it originally was. The gutter slope also called the pitch is the amount the gutter tilts down to let rainwater flow out of it.

Or you can slope the gutters down from each end toward a single downspout placed in the middle of the run. Put a temporary screw at the back to adjust the pitch. Once the gutter is properly pitched re install the gutter brackets. Most contractors tend to set the slop at one quarter inch per ten feet of guttering.

You may have to temporarily remove your hangers as you go or you can notch out the apron around them. This means that your gutter should be a half inch lower in height at every 10 foot mark until you reach the downspout.