Homes with flat roofs typically do not require gutters all the way around, as there are no slopes to direct water toward the gutter. On the other hand, homes with pitched roofs will benefit greatly from having gutters installed to prevent water from seeping into the foundation and causing damage.
The short answer: probably, but not always. It may seem strange to see a house without gutters, but every once in a while, you might encounter one. In fact, whether your home actually needs gutters depends on the build of your home, its location, and whether it experiences water-related issues.
Gutter downspouts should extend a minimum of four feet away from the house; however, they may need to extend much further depending on your soil, the slope of your house and local buildings codes.
Where Do You Put Gutters on a House? Rain gutters should be placed beyond roof eaves to collect rainwater. They're typically positioned on all sides of a home across the edge of the roof.
Some homes connect their gutter downspout drain to underground pipes. We call these gutter drains “underground drains“. The purpose of the underground gutter drainage is to re-direct the water away from the home, usually to the street or the sidewalk. Sometimes they even connect directly to the sewer line underground.
The local municipality is responsible to get the gutters and drains repaired.
Wrong Gutter Placement
And all of these issues are often expensive to fix. It is recommended that gutters are placed under or 'behind' the drip edge of your roof. A drip edge refers to a component that hangs over the roof and has an outward projecting lower edge.
How Far Should Gutters Be From the Roof Edge? The gutter should be installed as close to the shingles as possible; no more than 2 or 3 inches. If the gutter distance is more than 3 inches, the rain will run off the roof and won't drain properly.
As mentioned above, the water should be diverted at least 4 to 6 feet away from the house. If a home has basement walls, it should be at least 6 feet away. The furthest away from the foundation the better. Putting gravel or rocks at the end of the downspout to avoid erosion is a great idea.
The existence of gaps between your gutters and roof is more than just a cosmetic concern; it's a potential threat to your home's structural integrity. A properly installed gutter system directs rainwater away from your home's foundation, preventing potential water damage and soil erosion.
Your gutters should extend beyond your roof shingles, not align with them. Water naturally runs across shingles, down the shingle edge, and even underneath it. When gutter sections are installed directly in line with your roof shingles, the shingles impair the natural flow of water.
Incorrectly installed drip edge and shingles – The drip edge is a piece of L-shaped metal flashing installed near the edge of your roof. It's the component that's responsible for making sure water doesn't reach your fascia board. However, for the drip edge to do its job, the shingles need to extend past the drip edge.
Without gutters, too much water runs off the roof and splashes down the house onto the ground. Over time, too much water leads to issues like rotting fascia, rotting trim, erosion of soil or damaged foundation.
Consider any slopes on the ground and the conditions of the soil. Your gutter downspouts should not touch the ground.
The code minimum distance that a gutter downspout can discharge is 12-inches away from the walls of a home. That requirement is listed under the “Protection from Decay and Termites” section of both the International Residential Code (IRC) and the Residential Editon of the Florida Building Code (FBC R318.
A sharp gutter slope reduces the water capacity of the gutters, looks strange and can cause water to splash outside the gutters during heavy rain. A good rule of thumb for a gutter slope is that you want at least a quarter inch of slope for every 10 feet of gutters.
K-style gutters are the most common residential gutter type. They're recognizable by their profiles that have a flat bottom and a front side that resembles a scrolled letter K. Common gutter sizes for K-style gutters are five and six inches wide across the top of the profile.
Round/Circular - usually best suited for use with Half-round and Deep gutters. Square - usually best suited for use with Box and Ogee gutters.
Commonly referred to as a “rain leader” or “gutter leader”, a conductor head is a funnel at the top of a downspout. These are used to control the flow and keep run off to a minimum. They come in many shapes and sizes, but all serve the same function.
Downpipes are the vertical drainage pipes you see on the outside of a house. They connect to the spouting or guttering as part of a complete guttering system.
Can a toilet and sink share the same drain? Yep. Seen that often sink, toilet, shower, bathtub on the same drain. There is only one pipe going to the sewer or septic tank.
The answer to this will largely depend on the size and pitch of your roof, as the larger the area and steeper the slope, the greater the capacity and flow of rainwater being channelled by your gutters will be. However, a good rule of thumb here is to have one downpipe for every 9m (30ft) of gutter.