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Your home’s gutter system keeps rainwater from running down your house, but they only work effectively if you have the correct pitch.
Your roof’s slope is necessary to help water run through the gutters into the downspouts, where it flows away from your home.
In fact, proper gutters will keep your roofing, landscaping, and foundation in good shape. If you find that your gutters aren’t sloped correctly, there are some minor adjustments you can make to help the flow of water.
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What to Know About Pitches & Slopes
Gutters work using gravity. So, when installed correctly, the gutter sits at an angle or a pitch on your home.
And as we explained, this angle allows the water to travel toward the downspout, where it will be carried away from the structure.
But over time, a gutter can go “off pitch,” which means it’s no longer sitting at an angle, allowing water to pool in the gutter.
Since this water has nowhere to go, it will eventually back up into your home or pour into your foundation.
When the water backs up, it also rots the “fascia board” or wood that’s found behind the gutter, and when left unfixed, it will cause the gutter to fall off your home.
Recommendations on the gutter slope can vary slightly depending on whom you ask.
The average should be somewhere between ¼ to ½ inch for every 10 feet of gutter.
For example, let’s say your home has 20 feet of gutter, and you’ll be using a ½-inch slope; the difference should only be one inch between the two ends.
Hence, the end located away from the downspout should be one inch taller than the end where the downspout is located.
If your pitch is too small, water will move slowly or not at all, which will cause your gutters to back up and overflow.
If your slope is too high, water will flow too quickly, overloading the downspouts and possibly leading to erosion.
Why is the Pitch Off?
There are many reasons your gutters can be off-pitch. Sometimes, it’s due to the entire system not being installed properly, but other times it’s caused by loose brackets or heavy snow and ice.
To prevent this issue, it’s recommended that you use high-quality, heavy-duty gutters and have them professionally cleaned several times per year.
How to Change the Pitch of Your Rain Gutters
Although we always recommend you hire a professional company to install gutters or change the pitch, we understand that some homeowners like to try their own repair projects.
So, here’s a guide we created to help you safely change the pitch of your rain gutters:
Inspect the Gutters
You should first begin by doing a thorough check of your gutters, but only if they are easily accessible.
While you are on the ladder, be sure to check all brackets to see if they are loose or broken. Then, look for areas with damage or there is sagging.
It’s also a great idea to test the slope before you make any repairs. To do this, first ensure that your gutters are cleaned of all debris.
Then, you’ll pour water from a one-gallon bucket into the gutter at the end furthest from the downspout.
Watch the water to see if it flows at a good speed without stalling or pooling.
Tighten the Gutter Brackets
If you locate areas that seem to be sagging or have loose brackets, go ahead and grab a screwdriver so you can tighten each one.
Sometimes, this is all it takes to change the pitch and help realign your gutters. After you’ve tightened each bracket, complete the water trick again.
Changing the Pitch
Before we start, be sure to have these tools and materials on hand:
- Gloves
- Hammer
- Crowbar
- Screwdriver
- Wood Block
- Silicone Caulk
If tightening the brackets didn’t fix your problem, you’ll have to change the pitch by replacing or removing and reinstalling each gutter fastener.
Begin by removing the brackets and using just a single screw to attach the gutter to your home.
Just be sure that the screw is situated in the middle and effectively holds the gutter in place as you change the pitch.
Now you should have enough clearance to swivel the gutters a bit to correct the slope.
Remember to calculate the difference between your ends using either ¼ or ½ inch for every 10 feet.
When you think you’ve found the proper pitch, install one more screw to hold the gutter in place so you can do the water bucket trick again.
And don’t forget to see how they look from the ground, as you don’t want them too sloped.
After you are happy with the placement, install the rest of the fasteners in place.
Contact a professional gutter service if you finish all these steps and your gutters still don’t work correctly.
Their experts will determine the problem and provide you with the right solution to putting one of your home’s greatest defenses back to work.
