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How Much Pitch? - 3/10/2022
This is a question gutter installers get asked all the time. I have heard very definitive answers like "2 degrees", "3 percent" or "1/2 inch every 10 feet". My follow-up question would be "Ok, and how do you verify this?"
If i had to answer the question "How much pitch do you use on gutters?", my short answer would be "Oh, I don't know, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch per 10 feet..."
Though the longer answer might inspire more confidence! We use a level on the bottom of the gutter every few feet, as well as sighting it down like one would with a wooden board. This creates the perfect balance of form and function. The gutter only has to be pitched slightly for the water to flow, while looking like it is as level as possible.
I say "as possible", because even many newly built houses have some roof lines that are not level. Sometimes that works in the gutters favor, and sometimes against. When it works against, no matter how straight and level the gutter is- it may just look off in relation to the roof. We wouldn't be doing anyone any favors lining it up perfect with the roof, but having the water flow backwards causing rot and other issues. Rest assured we will get it looking as good as possible, while still having just enough pitch to flow. For those roof lines that are pitched in favor of the gutter, we can add more pitch to make it look even with the roof line. This is why those cookie-cutter answers, as good as they may sound, don't really translate to real-world gutter installations.
No Gutter Guard Is Perfect - 3/2/2022
With gutter guard installation, you can expect a lessening of maintenance and cleaning. It is rare to never have to do anything again if you want them in working order- I know, I'm not a good salesman! Just being honest here...No gutter guard is 100% maintenance-free. Even the ones that claim you will never clean your gutters again, always have some form of maintenance required in the fine print in order to qualify for any guarantee or warranty.
We've replaced $30+/ft gutter guards that didn't work right off the bat, with ones 1/4 the price or less that worked great. Not to say the expensive one's don't work, but much of the expense is to pay for advertising and marketing in my opinion. Some of the less expensive ones can work just as good or better!
In my experience you can expect to go from 1-2 cleanings a year to once every 3-10 years (can be more or less), and they are usually less involved. Many times just a light, superficial maintenance is needed here and there and the inside of the gutters may never need to be cleaned until new gutters go up! Again, it is dependent on the house, landscape, location etc.