What to Consider When Choosing Gutters for Your Home

Gutters and downspouts are available in a range of materials, including:

• Vinyl
• Aluminum
• Steel
• Copper

Gutters also come in sizes ranging from 3” to 6” with downspouts available from 2” x 3” to 4” x 5”. Gutter and downspout size is based on the size of the roof and amount and duration of rainfall in your area. Larger gutters and downspouts provide better drainage and clog less than smaller sizes.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• Gutter Maintenance Tips (video)
• How to Clean and Repair Gutters (article)
• How to Unclog and Clean Downspouts on Gutters (video)
• Homemade PVC Pipe Gutter Cleaner (video)

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Leah Asks: What advice can you give me for choosing gutters for my home?

Danny Lipford: Gutters are available in several different types of materials. And the most common, vinyl and aluminum, is readily available at the home center. But they only come in 10-foot lengths, and that means a lot more seams. There’s also steel guttering and probably the most expensive, copper. And your choice will depend on the type of house that you have and of course the budget. Me, I prefer this, which is a professionally-installed, seamless aluminum gutter because you can make a piece of guttering just about as long as you would need.

And this is a key thing, is the width of the guttering. It can be three-inch, four-inch or five-inch. I prefer it to go up to a six-inch so that it can handle any type of rain that you may get. And it’s real important that your downspouts, when they’re installed, that it’s kicking that water away from your foundation. But no matter what kind of guttering you choose, you still got to keep them clean.