Not only that but not having the correct sized guttering can also mean that the guttering may not be close enough to your walls to catch the rainwater, rendering them useless. Over time, this can lead to water seeping into your walls and causing damage to your home.
Continue reading to learn how you can choose the right size guttering for your property, ensuring that it works to its full potential.
Understand the Local Weather and Know Your Roof
Gutters comes in a range of sizes from 120mm to 300mm. The size you choose will ultimately come down to two main factors, the pitch of your roof and the amount of rain that you experience in your area. If your home has a roof with a particularly steep pitch, you get a lot of heavy rain or have a combination of both, then smaller gutters may find it difficult to cope.
In addition to the gutters, you will also need to consider the size of your downpipes (also called downspouts) as this is how all of that rainwater will actually leave your roof. To find out the maximum rainfall intensity in your area check the Met Service website.
How to Find the Pitch of Your Roof
An experienced and knowledgeable gutter installers will be able to calculate the pitch of your roof and help you to determine the right sized guttering to use on your home. However, if you want to measure the roof pitch yourself, you can do so with a level and measuring tape.
Rest one end of the level on the roof and raise the other end up until it shows that you are holding it level. Then, take the measuring tape and measure the distance between the end of the level and the roof, this will give you the pitch of your roof.
Determine the Gutter Drainage Area
The size of your roof plays a big role in determining what size guttering you are going to need. The larger the surface area is, the more rain it will collect and will, therefore, flow from it into the gutters.
To determine the gutter drainage area of your roof, you need to calculate how many square metres your roof is. Be sure to include every section of your roofing in your equations to ensure that you get the correct measurement.
Choose the Right Size Gutters for Your Home
Once you have made all of your calculations, you just have one more equation to do before you get in touch with your local gutter services provider to order your new guttering. Simply multiply the gutter drainage area by the roof pitch and then multiply your answer by the maximum rainfall intensity to find out what size gutters will be best for your property.
If in any doubt just inquire with your gutter services provider and they will be able to advise you on the best approach to take to ensure that your gutters are properly installed properly and so that they will operate effectively and efficiently.
