Poor Slope Gutters

The standard slope for rain gutters is half of an inch for every 10 feet.

Poor slope gutters. This means that your gutter should be a half inch lower in height at every 10 foot mark until you reach the downspout. However for gutters to function correctly they require a slight slope called a pitch which causes rainwater to flow to the downspouts. If gutters are not sloped enough the water will simply pool in the gutters and eventually spill over their sides. If gutters slope too severely they don t hold water and water could splash over the sides in heavy rain.

You can tell if your drain has a poor slope by looking in the gutter after a rainstorm. Proper gutter systems divert the flow of water away from your home and direct it towards nearby storm drain systems. The amount of collected water increases until it spills over the sides of the gutter. If gutters don t slope water gathers in them.

Poor gutter drainage puts your home at high risk for water damage. An incorrect slope can cause substantial gutter system malfunction. The gutter slope also called the pitch is the amount the gutter tilts down to let rainwater flow out of it. For spans longer than 40 feet it s wise to have a downspout on each end and start the high spot of the gutter in the center.

If you can see standing water you need to re pitch your gutters. Gutters should drop a quarter inch every 10 feet in order to keep water flowing toward downspouts.