Our seamless extruded aluminum gutters don’t just come in a variety of colours to suit your style. We also offer them in five and six-inch widths, and that extra inch does come in handy depending on your roof. The extra width increases their carrying capacity by 50%. So are six-inch gutters better every time?

It’s Not Just the Width – The Depth Matters Too

The depth of a six-inch aluminum seamless extruded gutter increases in proportion to the width, because the capacity increases in both directions. The two types are quite easy to spot, because the wider one has a chunkier look. However, it uses more material, and so it costs more than the slimmer option.

We wrote this post to explain the factors that dictate which gutter width is best for your home. It’s definitely better to pay a little more, than face overflowing gutters every time you have heavy rain. Although at the same time every saving helps, and six-inch gutters do come at a price.

Four Factors  Tell You If Six-Inch Gutters Are For You

The four factors to consider before deciding, are six-inch gutters better for your project, include (1) the area of your roof, (2) the slope of your roof, (3) your rainfall pattern, and (4) any restrictions on down pipe placement. Let’s go into each aspect in more detail.

The Square Foot Area of Your Roof

The square foot area of your roof is the catchment area of your home. It determines how much rainwater your gutters have to carry during heavy rain.

The Average Slope of Your Roof

The average slope of your roof dictates the speed at which the water flows down the slope. A gutter should never be quite full so the moisture does not overflow.

The Rainfall Pattern Where You Live

All standard gutter sizes overflow during exceptional rain. We recommend installing six-inch gutters if you fairly regularly experience heavy downpours.

Restrictions on Down Pipe Placement

We recommend placing down pipes no more than thirty feet apart, so they can cope with the flow. But if that’s not practical, then choose a wider six-inch gutter.

Tweaking These Thoughts for Your Circumstances

We recommend seamless six-inch gutters for concrete and clay roofs, rubber roofs, and cedar roofs. All three of these are much thicker than asphalt, and usually stick out further past the fascia.

We also recommend wider gutters for steel roofs, because water drains off them at a faster rate. We may also suggest six-inch gutters for roof edges with long eave sections, because Valiant Exteriors believes in giving honest advice.

More Information

Installing Gutter Drop Tube Outlets

Fitting Gutters to Metal-Frame Buildings

Image: Section of K-Style Gutter With Provision for Downpipe