-arsi2021 How to Size Gutters & Downspouts How to Size Gutters & Downspouts Home Guides | Home | Home Improvement | Troubleshoot, Fix and Repair | Measure and Calculate By C.L. Rease Half round and K-style gutters are the two most common gutter types found on residential homes. Each gutter style comes in two sizes and each has the capacity to move a specific amount of water from your roof. Correctly matching the size and style of a gutter to your house requires careful measurements and precise calculations to ensure the gutters do not overflow during heavy or prolonged periods of rain. 4 Set up an extension ladder against one edge of your home's roof. Make sure the ladder extends at least three feet past its top resting point against the roof edge. Place a torpedo level and tape measure in a tool pouch to keep your hands free. Climb the ladder, keeping three points of contact at all times. For example, keep two feet and a hand or two hands and one foot on the ladder at all times. 5 sfgate.com/size-guters-downspouts-38972.himl wrcysa021 How io Size Guters & Downspouls 2. Place the torpedo level on the roof with the level body sitting perpendicular to the roof peak. Adjust the level until it reads level. Hold an extended tape measure at the end of the level that is not touching the surface of the roof. Move the tape measure so its blade is sitting plumb against the end of the level. Measure the distance between the roof and the bottom of the level. The measurement will determine the pitch of the roof. For example, a distance of 6 inches would mean the roof has a 6-in-12-inch pitch. 3 Measure the length and width -- distance from the eave to the peak of the roof -- of one side of the roof. Multiply the two dimensions to find the area of the roof section. For example, if the length of the roof section is 50 feet and the width is 25 feet, the area is 1,250 square feet. Determine the area of each roof section. When determining the area of a triangular hip roof, use the formula: length times width divided by two. or sus San Francisco Chronicle / ce 4 Locate the roof pitch chart or using the following values: lope factor for the pitch of your roof by consulting a roof pitch For roofs between flat and 3-in-12 in pitch, use a factor of 1, For 4-in-12 or 5-in-12, use 1.05. For 6-in-12 to 8-in-12, use 1.1. For g-in-12 to 11-in~ 12, use 1.2, For 12-in-12, use 1.3 5 Multiply the largest square footage by the corresponding roof pitch factor. In the example, multiply 1,250 square feet by the corresponding roof factor of 1.1 for a drainage area of 1,375 square feet. Multiply the drainage area by the maximum rainfall for your area in inches per hour. For example, for the San Francisco area, you would multiply 1,375 square feet by 2.7 for a total drainage area of 3,713 adjusted square feet. 6 Compare the adjusted square footage to the two most common gutter types. K-style gutters have the capacity to move either 5,520 square feet for 5-inch gutters or 7,960 square feet for 6-inch gutters. Half-round gutters move less water and allow for 2,500 square feet for a 5-inch diameter or 3,840 square feet for a 6-inch diameter gutter. For example, the 3,713 adjusted square feet from the previous example would allow you to use either a 5-inch K- style gutter or a 6-inch half-round gutter when installed with the standard pitch of 1/4 inch per 10 feet. 7 Decrease the required size of your gutters by installing more downspouts than the standard spacing of one every 40 feet. The number of additional downspouts needed to incr se the gutters’ capacity will depend on the size of the downspout. For example, adding one 4-inch round downspout will increase the gutter capacity by 1,255 square feet, and one 3-inch round downspout would increase capacity by 706 square feet. Rectangular downspouts move slightly less water, at 600 square feet for 2-by-3-inch or 1,200 square feet for a 3-by-4-inch downspout. Multiply the number of downspouts by square hitps:omequides sfgate.com/size-qutters-downspouts-38972.himl arsrsrz02t How to Size Gutters & Downspouts footage of each downspout. For example, one 4-inch downspout would deduct 1,255 from the original 3,713 and would reduce the drainage area to 2,538 square feet. REFERENCES TIPS How to Diga How Do You How to Rain Hole in Calculate Figure Roof the Yard Square Angles Footage for a Roof? hitps:homequides sfgate.com/size-qutters-downspouts-38972.himl How to Determine Ventilation for Roofs With Roof Peak Vents How to Start Shingles Straight ona Non-Square Roof 3