How To Slope Rain Gutters

How to check a gutter s slope.

How to slope rain gutters.

Pull the gutter down about 3 quarters of an inch lower than it originally was. Place the line spirit level on the string. To calculate gutter slope attach one end of a long piece of string to the highest point of your gutter and the other end at the location of your downspout. If there s standing water it s not pitched properly.

Go to the side of the gutter farthest from the downspout and pour the water in. It s sloped so much the flashing or drip edge is no longer covering the back of the gutter. Once the gutter is properly pitched re install the gutter brackets. You want at least a quarter inch of slope for every 10 feet.

Measure the length of the string to determine the distance between the two points. Get on a ladder after a rainstorm and look in the gutter. The standard slope for rain gutters is half of an inch for every 10 feet. To ensure that gutters drain properly make certain they slope inch for every 10 feet toward a downspout.

It should run at a consistent speed down the gutter to the downspout. For spans longer than 40 feet it s wise to have a downspout on each end and start the high spot of the gutter in the center. In the picture you can see an example of what happens when the installer gets a little crazy with the slope of the gutters. For gutter runs longer than 40 feet it s best to pitch the gutter down from the middle to a downspout at each end.

Put a temporary screw at the back to adjust the pitch. The gutter should have a quarter inch of slope per 10 feet. Pull the line tight to the other side of where the gutters will be installed. Gutters need to be pitched toward the downspouts for the water to flow properly.

A line spirit level is a very small level that attaches to string. Use a string level to ensure the string is completely parallel to the ground. Rain gutters have to slope down to the downspout for proper drainage. Or you can slope the gutters down from each end toward a single downspout placed in the middle of the run.

To check the slope of your gutters you ll need a ladder tall enough to safely get to your gutter and a one gallon bucket of water. Gutter sloping only needs to be 1 4 inch per 10 feet.