Gutter Repair and Installation in Concrete Under the Conifers

Why do gutters clog so fast under tall conifers?

Because conifers shed needles year-round and small debris packs into the gutter, where it holds water and breaks down into sediment. Lots under tall trees can fill a gutter in weeks. A clogged gutter overflows at the front edge, and the water runs down the fascia and the siding.

Cleaning twice a year, in late autumn and again in spring, is a common routine in this part of the world. After a windstorm, check again. A short ladder is a hazard on soft, wet ground, so for second-storey runs a roofer or a professional cleaner is safer.

Trimming back branches over the roof reduces the load, and also lets sunlight dry the roof and gutter, which discourages moss. The guide on roof care before winter places gutter cleaning in the seasonal list.

What does a bad gutter do to a roof?

It soaks the lowest shingles and the roof edge, rots the fascia and soffit, and can lift shingles with moss that spreads from the wet edge. Overflow can also push water into the wall. Gutters rarely fail by themselves; the damage they cause is more expensive than the gutter.

On a roof with moss problems, the lowest courses are usually the worst, and a leaking gutter is often why. Fixing the gutter before treating the moss gives the treatment a chance to last.

See roof moss removal and prevention for how moss is dealt with once the water is controlled.

Do gutters work on a metal roof?

Yes, but snow sliding off metal can tear them off. Roofers often use snow guards above the gutter, heavier hangers or no gutter at all on parts of the roof where snow slides. Ask about the options before choosing, especially over doors and walkways.

The right design depends on the roof pitch, the snow and what is below. A barn without a gutter can send a stream of water onto the ground that needs managing in other ways, such as a drip line of gravel. See metal roofing for more on how snow behaves.

Where should the downspouts drain?

Away from the foundation, onto ground that slopes away from the house, or into a drain line that carries the water to a safe outlet. Water pooling against the wall or running onto a driveway and freezing is a sign the downspout is discharging in the wrong place.

Rural lots often have no storm sewer, so the water goes into the ground, a ditch or a drain pipe on the owner's property. Check where your lot drains before choosing a design. Septic fields and wells are not places to send roof water, so ask the roofer to keep downspouts well clear.

How do gutters change in a snowy upper-valley winter?

Snow and ice add weight to gutters, and sliding snow from steep roofs can tear them off. Heavier hangers set closer together, strong fascia fastening and snow guards above the gutter help. Where snow slides regularly, some owners skip gutters on that stretch and manage runoff on the ground.

Ice is its own problem. A gutter full of frozen debris holds water and weight, and when it thaws and refreezes it can pull away. Keeping gutters clear going into winter is the most useful step.

Where the roof is metal, discuss the whole system with the roofer rather than adding gutters afterwards. The gutter, the snow guard and the roof edge are designed together or they fight each other.

How do you size gutters and downspouts for a wet climate?

By the roof area that drains to them and the amount of rain it receives. A large roof in a valley with roughly 70 to 75 inches of precipitation a year needs larger gutters and more downspouts than a small roof in a dry climate. A roofer sizes the system to the roof, not to a standard kit.

Many houses carry gutters that were sized for a smaller roof, before an addition changed the drainage. If water overshoots the gutter in a heavy downpour even when it is clean, the gutter or the number of downspouts is too small.

Wider gutters and larger downspouts cost a little more at installation and avoid the overflow that rots fascia. Ask the roofer what size they propose and what roof area each downspout serves.