5 Inch Vs. 6 Inch
What Size Gutter Is Right For My Home?
When to CONSIDER A 5-INCH GUTTER:
- Gutter lengths under 40’ with at least 1 downspout
- Gutters over 40’ in length should have 2 downspouts
- Gutters do not overflow during normal rains
- Asphalt shingles with proper drip edge
- 5” Gutters should not be used to catch runoff from upper roofs with gutters
When to CONSIDER A 6-INCH GUTTER:
- Gutter lengths over 40’ that cannot have 2 downspouts
- Lower gutters that have upper gutters draining into them
- Long runs over 60’
- Rooflines with tremendous amounts of water concentrating to a small section of gutter
- Inside valleys where the water is flowing at great speed, and typically overflows during heavy rains
- Metal roofs
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6-INCH GUTTER
For residential homes with large or steep roofs and high volumes of water, a 6-inch gutter may be your best solution. These gutter systems are often seen on office buildings and commercial buildings as well. Often, there is great value in using a combination of the two sizes. Most importantly, 6-inch gutters can handle approximately 50% more volume than a 5″ seamless gutter system. When installing 6″ gutters, we use 3×4″ oversized downspouts as well, allowing more water and debris to flow freely through the system.
We have seen an incredible increase in our number of 6″ seamless gutter installs in our in recent years. We have even encountered many homeowners with straight ranches, capes, and colonial homes, interested in the larger sized 6″ gutters. Since the pitch of a roof varies so greatly on each home, designing a system custom for your roof is essential. Pitch greatly affects how the rain will flow down into the gutters. Many homeowners have found that their smaller 5″ seamless gutters overflow with heavy rain.