How Do Rain Gutters Work?

Owning and maintaining a home goes much further than making mortgage payments and mowing the lawn – as any homeowner will tell you! And it’s about more than simply doing the work. For the most effective care of your home, protection of your investment, and increase in the value and equity in the home, education is key.

We all know that rain gutters are there to carry rainwater from your roof and away from your home, but the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of that process may not be common knowledge. That’s what we’re hoping to clear up in this article.

Gutters are designed to carry water away from your home, because if the water drained directly off of your roof, it would travel down against the siding or collect near the foundation. We have written before about the catastrophic damage that can cause – click here if you missed it.

Typically, rain gutters are installed along the eaves of your roof line, and in a slight sloping direction so that they can let gravity do the work to carry the water to downspouts. Different sizes and styles of rain gutters will carry more water than others. For example, K-shaped (or ‘ogee’) gutters carry more water than a larger-sized U-shaped gutter, which may make them more desirable to some homeowners – particularly those living in rainier climates like the Pacific Northwest.

The problem is, normal rain gutters of any design, style, shape and material are open and vulnerable to all manner of clog-causing debris, from leaves to toys to animal and insect rubbish. Gutters alone cannot work effectively without the right kind of gutter guard system. Otherwise, homeowners will need to get up on a precarious ladder at least once each year to clean out the clogs in their gutters – a dangerous, dirty, and time-consuming task.

For a premium gutter guard system for your home, contact Gutter & Roof Solutions NW in Tacoma, WA. We’ll provide a free estimate for your GutterDome® system!