Guttering Between Two Pitched Roofs

A 5 inch gap for instance is a 5 in 12 pitch.

Guttering between two pitched roofs.

Get 7 or 8 inch gutters. The standard is about inch per 10 feet. Pitched roofs have peaks and valleys that direct water downward in very specific directions. Take one look at a pitched roof versus a flat roof and the structural differences are quite obvious.

Get on a ladder after a rainstorm and look in the gutter. Gutters need to be pitched toward the downspouts for the water to flow properly. The valley gutter problem areas can be made worse where there are surrounding trees and associated leaves and branches that can block the valley gutters up. Valley gutters are generally considered to be a problem area.

A bonding gutter refers to a detail which weathers the vertical junction between different roof coverings. Increasing the pitch increases a gutter s handling capacity but the gutter may look askew over a long run. To correct this yourself you ll need to measure from the peak to the downspout. Hold one end of the level against the roof level it and then measure the distance between the roof and the underside of the level at its midpoint which gives you a 12 inch run.

You can measure pitch with a 2 foot level and a tape measure. The detail can be formed using preformed polymer based products traditional lead work or more modern lead replacement flashings. The steeper a roof s pitch the more windblown rain it can collect. Increase the pitch of the gutter.

Flat roofs operate with the same basic principle but of course their lower angles mean that gravity isn t quite as effective in shedding water rapidly. For example between a double lapped plain tile and a single lapped large format interlocking tile. Once you know pitch you can find your roof pitch factor in the table below. You want at least a quarter inch of slope for every 10 feet.

If there s standing water it s not pitched properly.