Questions to Ask Your Roofing Contractor: Gutters Edition

Gutters can be a homeowner’s best ally in protecting their home. A good roof needs to be supported by quality gutters. Proper rain gutters should be attached to the fascia and run the entire length of the roof with a proper pitch and angle ending with a downspout to direct water away from your home. Downspouts should avoid other items near your home like hose bibs, electric meters, or sidewalks. Consideration should also be given to the roof material to make sure water is properly caught from overhanging shingles from the roof. In order to be effective, gutters need to be kept clear of debris. There are so many factors to consider when choosing the right gutters for your home. We compiled a list of our most frequently asked questions around the topic of gutters to help you as you consider making this worthwhile investment for your home. 

Do I Even Need Gutters?

Whether you live in a warm, sunny climate, or in New England, gutters are an essential tool to protecting your home. Even in warm sunny temperatures, water can seep through anywhere and that can be made worse if your home doesn’t have gutters. 

What Are Some Signs That My Gutters Aren’t Working Well?

Visual clogging, improper angles, leaking, or sagging are all signs that your gutters aren’t protecting your home properly.

Why Does It Matter? What Will Happen If My Gutters Aren’t Installed Properly?

Poor gutter installation or low quality gutters can result in issues like ice dams and backed up or blocked gutters, which can create leaks and damage throughout your home. If your gutters aren’t at the right angle, water can pool and cause sagging, or, if they are too steep it can overshoot the gutters completely. If a leak goes unchecked long enough it can destroy wood trim, soffits, fascia board and even cause issues in your driveway heaving, landscaping, and foundation too. This is why it’s so important to make sure you either clean your gutters regularly or have a barrier installed to ensure that your roof and all the underlying pieces can work cohesively.

How Do I Clean My Gutters?

This is a question we see frequently at the Roofing Doctor. It doesn’t matter how good the gutters are, if they are installed improperly or clogged, they won’t serve their purpose and protect your home. 

If you hate getting up on a ladder to clean out your gutters, there are products like gutter screens that the Roofing Doctor can recommend to prevent clogging. Some gutter guards have micro mesh that will protect your gutters from leaves, pine needles, and other debris. This means less cleaning for you and more effective gutters function. 



I Experienced an Ice Dam Last Winter, Can Gutters Help Prevent That From Happening Again?

Absolutely. For customers that experience inclement winter weather and frequent ice dams, we recommend gutters that have heating wires inside the ends. This heating mechanism can prevent ice dams and save you money in damage related costs. There are even heated gutter guards available to stop ice dam formation. Click here to read more about heated gutter guards. 

Make sure your new roof is taken care of with quality gutters and call the Roofing Doctor today to “get yourself out of the gutter!”

*Image From LeafFilter