South Carolina gets a lot of rain, and much of it arrives fast. Summer afternoon thunderstorms, the remnants of tropical systems in late summer and fall, and long soaking rains in winter all send a lot of water off your roof in a short time. Gutters are what keep that water from pouring down the siding, splashing mud onto the walls and soaking the soil right against your foundation. When they are the wrong size, clogged or poorly installed, the problems show up slowly — stained siding, rotted fascia, wet crawl spaces and washed-out flower beds.
Seamless gutters are formed on site from a coil of metal and cut to the exact length of each side of the house. That means there are no joints along the run, only at the corners and downspouts. Joints are where sectional gutters usually start to leak, collect debris and separate over time, so fewer joints means fewer problems. Seamless gutters also look cleaner from the street because there are no seams every ten feet.
Most homes do well with 5-inch gutters, which are the standard size on many houses. Six-inch gutters hold and move noticeably more water, and they usually pair with larger downspouts. They are worth considering if you have a large roof area draining to one side, a steep roof that sends water off quickly, valleys where two roof slopes meet and dump into one corner, or gutters that already overflow during heavy storms even when they are clean. The right choice depends on your roof, so it is worth having someone measure it rather than guessing.
Slope and downspouts matter as much as size. A gutter should fall slightly toward each downspout so water keeps moving instead of sitting and collecting debris. Long runs often need a downspout at each end. At the bottom, downspouts should be extended or tied into drainage so water is carried several feet away from the foundation — a downspout that empties right next to the house undoes much of the gutter's work.
The fascia board behind the gutter is the part most people never think about. It is what the gutter hangs on, and when a gutter overflows or leaks, the water soaks into that board. Over time the wood softens and rots, the hangers lose their grip and the gutter starts to sag. When new gutters go up, it is the right moment to check the fascia and replace any soft sections, so the new system has something solid to hold on to.
Pines, oaks and sweetgums are everywhere in the Midlands, and they drop needles, leaves, pollen and seed pods for much of the year. That is why gutters clog so easily here. Cleaning them at least twice a year — once in late spring after the pollen and seed drop, and again in late fall after the leaves come down — keeps most homes in good shape. Homes surrounded by trees often need more. Gutter guards can cut that work down a lot by keeping the larger debris out, though no guard is completely maintenance-free.
Watch for the warning signs: water spilling over the front of the gutter during rain, drips behind the gutter, gutters pulling away from the roof, peeling paint or stains on the siding below, puddles or erosion along the foundation, and plants growing out of the gutter. Any of these means water is not going where it should, and fixing it early is far cheaper than repairing rotted wood or a wet foundation later.
Thinking about new seamless gutters, repairs or gutter guards? Call (803) 420-8343. Every estimate is free, and you get 5% off when you sign a contract with us.