How To Choose The Right Type Of Gutter For My Home?

 Choosing a specific gutter model for a home is not a task that we should take lightly. The water drainage system of our home is a fundamental element for the good condition of the property, so that before installing the gutters we will make sure that we have chosen the appropriate model based on the drainage needs of the house .

When choosing the gutters for a home we have to take into account several factors, including the width of the gutters, the materials of the system and some other details. If we choose the right model, we will ensure that the rainwater drains through the gutters and does not end up seeping through the roof or the facade into the house or worse, onto the surrounding ground towards the foundations.

To find out which gutters are adapted to our home, we can ask for advice from All About Gutters Inc, specializing in gutters . Only a professional company specialized in gutters can give us a totally reliable solution, since they carry out a preliminary study on temperature variations, rainfall range, etc. in order to advise us on a specific type of gutter.

What is the ideal gutter width?

To know which is the width of the gutters that we must install, we must attend to one factor mainly; the range of rainfall in the geographical area in which the property is located. In addition to this, it is important to take into account how rainfall occurs, especially if we live in an area with a tendency to torrential rains, such as the Mediterranean coast.

Once we know the range of rainfall in our specific area, we will choose a gutter width, or diameter, or another. For example, if we live in an area with abundant rainfall, such as the Cantabrian region, we will choose a larger gutter diameter that is capable of draining all the water without becoming saturated or overflowing.

In the same way we will act if the rains occur in a torrential way, since even if it is not an area with a lot of rainfall we have to prepare so that when they fall, the gutters are able to drain all the water without problems.

As for the high mountain areas where snowfalls usually occur, it is important that the gutters are wide enough to drain the snow once it melts on the roof. In these cases it is also advisable to choose gutters with a width slightly greater than the standard.

One detail to take into account when choosing the diameter of our gutters is to know how many square meters our roof has. This is essential, since the wider the roof, the more water it collects, and all this water has to be evacuated through our drainage system.

It is important that to choose a suitable diameter for the gutters in your home, you consult a company specialized in installing gutters. In this way, you ensure that you receive advice from experienced professionals, who can give you a reliable opinion and a lot of information so that your drainage system is fully effective.

Tips to choose the diameter of the gutters

In short, there are two factors to take into account when choosing the diameter of the gutters:

·         Know the range of rainfall in our area

·         Take into account the square meters of the roof

What material to choose for the gutters?

To know which material to choose for the gutters again, several conditions must be taken into account. Although gutters are made of many different materials, each one has its own characteristics that can be very useful depending on the weather conditions to which they are exposed.

In general, the great enemy of gutters is exposure to direct sunlight, obviously over the years the sunlight can cause the material of our gutters to suffer premature wear.

Regarding the specific materials, we will cite the most common and what are their advantages and disadvantages:

PVC gutters

PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is a material derived from plastic widely used to make all kinds of things; from toys to sanitary utensils, passing of course through its most popular use, water pipes and gutters. PVC is a very versatile material, easy to handle and resistant to both water, fire and corrosion; but without a doubt its greatest advantage is its low price.

The use of PVC for drainage systems is widespread, however it has several disadvantages such as that when exposed to the sun for long periods of time it can become brittle. Another disadvantage is that PVC is currently being considered as an unsustainable material, since its manufacturing process is highly polluting and, like all plastic products, it is derived from oil.

Metal gutters

In this section we cannot talk about a specific material; since several types of metal used to make gutters. Among them the most common are aluminum, zinc, copper and stainless steel among others.

Their characteristics when using them to make gutters are similar, however each material has its own characteristics; aluminum for example is the lightest while steel is extremely hard and highly resistant to corrosion or oxidation.

In any case, the great advantage of installing metal gutters is their extreme resistance to other materials. Metal can be exposed to extreme weather conditions for many years before beginning to show any kind of deterioration. It is true that its price is generally higher, especially if we opt for options such as copper, but we will be making an investment for life.

We cannot lose sight of the fact that metal gutters provide a great variety of shapes and finishes. The aesthetic aspect is important when it comes to the facade of a house, and with metal gutters we have a wide variety of options that will beautify our facade instead of being just another functional element.

Ceramic gutters

The use of ceramic, or clay, is very common for roofs but is less common for gutters. However, in some areas of Spain ceramic gutters have traditionally been used and have turned out to be an excellent option.

It is common to find them in old houses in some areas of Andalusia, where they are usually decorated with different colors by giving them an outer layer of fused glass. Their aesthetic appearance is unbeatable, however they are quite heavy and of course they can be fragile if we expose them to heavy rain or hail.