How To Slope A Gutter

Get on a ladder after a rainstorm and look in the gutter.

How to slope a gutter.

Next place a ladder at the left side of the house and measure from the roof down to the gutter. For example if the gutter is 16 feet long the end near the down spout must be 1 inch lower than the starting end. You want at least a quarter inch of slope for every 10 feet. It should pitch from the middle toward the downspouts at each end.

Use a string level to ensure the string is completely parallel to the ground. Per 16 ft but this is not always possible. 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. Once the gutter is properly pitched re install the gutter brackets.

To correct this yourself you ll need to measure from the peak to the downspout. Go to the side of the gutter farthest from the downspout and pour the water in. How to determine gutter slope. Pull the gutter down about 3 quarters of an inch lower than it originally was.

A gutter over 30 feet needs two downspouts. The best way to calculate the slope of a gutter run before hanging it is to use a long string and a string level. Multiply the number of feet by 1 16 inch to determine the total slope the gutter requires. Then fasten one end of the string at the highest point of the gutter and the other at the spot where the downspout will be.

If there s standing water it s not pitched properly. Put a temporary screw at the back to adjust the pitch. The gutter should have a quarter inch of slope per 10 feet. Ideally gutters should slope down toward downspouts 1 in.

Snap a chalk line between the two and find the spots where the gutter is out of alignment. 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. Next to a level fascia board the steeper the slope of the gutter the more it looks out of whack. A gutter over 30 feet needs two downspouts.

How to check a gutter s slope. Measure the length of the string to determine the distance between the two points. Start on the end of the gutter farthest from. First determine the location of each one of your downspouts.

It should run at a consistent speed down the gutter to the downspout.