Six inch gutters can carry about 40% more water than traditional 5 inch gutters. They also offer the added benefit of protecting your fascia boards and siding more effectively since they cover more surface area. If you find that your 5 inch gutters cannot handle heavy rains and storms around your home or if you’re tired of frequent clogging, 6 inch gutters might be worth considering. As always, consulting with an experienced gutter agency is the best way to answer the question: are 6 inch gutters worth it for you?
Are 6 inch gutters worth it?
Six inch gutters can definitely be worth it if you have a house with a large roof surface area or a steep roof pitch or if you would like to design your house with a bolder exterior. Any one or a combination of these reasons could make 6 inch gutters worth considering, so performing a cost-benefit analysis of your personal needs and financial situation can be useful in determining whether oversized gutters would be a worthwhile choice for your property. For example, if you have a large roof surface area, and it tends to rain a lot in the summer where you live, 6 inch gutters would be better equipped to handle the stress of sudden onsets of precipitation without overflowing. In this case, 6 inch gutters would definitely be worth it for protecting your home. However, if you live in a tiny house, 6 inch gutters might be a bit too big and probably not worth considering unless you want them for aesthetic purposes.
Is it better to have bigger gutters?
A simple analogy for understanding the benefits of 6 inch gutters over 5 inch gutters involves umbrellas. If you walk out into the rain and choose a small umbrella, it will protect you from most of the rain. However, if it starts raining heavily and the wind picks up, you will still get wet. With a large golf umbrella, even in some of the rainiest conditions, barely any rain will reach you. This is similar to the case of 5 inch and 6 inch gutters. While 5 inch gutters can work just fine for small houses with a shallow roof pitch, larger houses with steeper roof pitches are not well-protected from storms. The parts of gutters in 6 inch gutters are made oversized to accommodate large volumes of rain.
Even though a little rain getting on your clothes is not the end of the world, the same does not hold true for your foundation. Over time, small amounts of rain spillage entering your foundation can cause significant damage requiring thousands of dollars in repairs. If you notice your gutters overflowing or having difficulty managing the amount of rain they are exposed to, it’s highly likely time to upgrade to larger gutters. However, if your 5 inch gutters are managing just fine, it’s perfectly okay to stick with them as they are doing their job properly.
Why use 6 inch gutters?
As you can see from the rest of this article, there are many reasons why people use 6 inch gutters on their residential property. Though these oversized gutters have been used for many years on commercial properties, they certainly have a place in protecting homes. The choice to install 6 inch gutters is highly subjective to your situation, so consulting with a responsible gutter service provider can help you determine whether 6 inch gutters are right for you. The 6 inch gutters cost per foot is higher than 5 inch gutters, but it is often worth it for homeowners. If you are interested in installing 6 inch gutters on your property or have more questions about the differences between 5 inch and 6 inch gutters, contact GutterPros for a consultation!