Rain pours down on the roof and from there descends to the ground. When there is no system in place, the water drips, streams and sheets off of the roof in unpredictable patterns which can be hazardous to people, buildings (such as walls and ceilings) and surrounding landscaping. A great gutter system reduces erosion, prevents house leaks and protects painted surfaces by reducing exposure to water. So, it’s no wonder why having an efficient gutter system suitable on your house is important. In this post we share some ideas to consider when choosing gutters for your home.

What’s available?

Gutters and downpipes come in several sizes and shapes called profiles. They’re available in a variety of different materials such as Vinyl, Zinc, Aluminum, Steel and Copper. At Roo Roofing we choose to provide steel based gutters, gutter guards and metal fascias from Colorbond® known for their outstanding durability and protection performance against the tropical conditions in South East Queensland.

 The size of your gutters and downpipes depend on the size of your roof and the usual amount and duration of rainfall in your area. Larger gutter systems provide better drainage and clog less than smaller ones.

You need to choose a profile that is going to look right on your home. If you have an older home, you may want to maintain a traditional style that is consistent with the era of the home. Similarly, a modern look may be more in keeping if you have a contemporary style home.

Before replacing your gutter system there’s a couple things to take into consideration first:

• Were there any problems/weaknesses with your previous gutter system?

For example, does you gutter always overflow in heavy rain, even when they were clean? Then you’ll need to look at getting a new gutter system with a higher capacity for water with a design that allows water to flow more quickly.

• Was your previous system aligned with the environment of your house?

For example, is your home surrounded by trees? With falling leaves and branches frequently blocking your gutter system? A half round profile is a good choice as it’s shape tends to be self-cleaning. It’s also usually much easier to clean as there aren’t any sharp corners for debris to get caught in, and the brackets are placed on the outside, providing easy access to get in and clean the gutter thoroughly.

We hope this post has given you an idea of the considerations to make when choosing or replacing a gutter system. It’s best to speak to one of our people to fully discover all the options that would really suit your home given your location and style of your home.