If you have gutter guards, this is less of a concern. Lastly, how many trees are in your area and around your property? The more trees you have on your property, the quicker your gutters can clog. If you live in a cold climate but need large gutters, you can take precautions by using more gutter hangers (preferably speed screw hangers) & making sure your fascia is in good condition. This can keep your gutters from coming loose. Since homes in colder climates are prone to ice dams, a smaller gutter means a smaller ice dam, as less ice can accumulate in the gutter trough. What about temperature? If you live in a colder climate with heavy snowfall, many people opt for smaller gutters. In some cases, you may not even need gutters at all. įor more arid climates, or areas with minor to moderate rainfall, rainfall and gutter overflow isn’t much of a concern. Your gutters can quickly fill with leaves, which will lead to an overflowing gutter. This is especially true if you live in a wooded area. Heavy storms can easily overwhelm your gutter system as the rainwater flows into the gutters. How much rainfall do you get each year? Is it usually light or heavy rain? In the Raleigh, North Carolina area, for example, we receive the full spectrum of weather with sun, snow, light rain, heavy rain, and even hurricanes. The two biggest factors that influence what size gutters you should install are the climate and the size and structure of your house. Phew! Okay, now that we know what gutter size options there are, let’s figure out what size is best for your home! Technical factors that influence the best size gutters The most common downspout sizes are 2×3 inch or 3×4 inch (measuring the width and depth of the downspouts). In addition to the rain gutter sizes, you also have different downspout sizes. As an example, a 6 inch gutter will hold 40% more water than a 5 inch gutter. While an inch may not seem like much, it increases the total volume significantly. The inches refer to the width of the gutter trough. On commercial buildings or large custom homes, you may see oversized gutter options in 7 inch or 8 inch sizes. Some older homes still have 4 inch gutters, but those are becoming more rare. The most common sizes today are 5 inch and 6 inch gutters. There are two typical sizes, along with some smaller options and larger custom options. In this post, we’ll discuss:Īs a quick note, we want to go over the different sizes available for residential gutters. There are a few factors to think about as you pick a gutter size. What size gutters do you pick? Let’s find out! So it’s time to replace or add new gutters to your home.

Seamless rain gutters rising sun