Rating 5, 0 (26) 6-inch gutters can handle nearly 50% more water than 5-inch gutters. They are installed with larger 3 x 4 downspouts for better water management. Beyond these practical considerations, 6-inch gutters can improve the aesthetics of your home's exterior, making 8- or 10-inch panels appear more proportional, providing distinctive lines that contrast between the roof and the siding of your home, or simply because 6-inch gutters are all the rage in today's real estate market. These situations include realizing that 5-inch gutters regularly overflow and observing the disproportionate damage caused by storms to 5-inch gutters.
Consulting with a responsible gutter professional with years of experience is the best way to determine if 6-inch gutters would be the best option for you. If we compare five- and six-inch gutters in parallel, we see that the cross-sectional area of 6-inch gutters is significantly larger. On the other hand, if your roof plan measures more than 1,400 square feet, we recommend placing 6-inch gutters, as this causes twice as much water to enter the gutters. Maintaining and cleaning gutters is crucial to the overall health of your home or business, regardless of whether you have 5 or 6 inches.
IN FACT, A LARGER GUTTER WILL HOLD MORE DEBRIS THAN A STANDARD FIVE-INCH GUTTER AND DOES NOT CLEAN AUTOMATICALLY. Another advantage of 6-inch gutters is that they have a wider space between the tiles and the gutter. You may need to consider this difference in your next gutter reinstallation project, as you may need 6-inch gutters for your property. On average, 6-inch aluminum gutters cost 50 cents to $1 more per foot than gutters of 5 inches.
For example, if you live in a very small house with a sloping roof, 6-inch gutters may be too large and 5-inch gutters would be the best option for you. In general, there are no wrong answers when it comes to choosing gutter sizes, but there are some situations where you should definitely choose 6 inch gutters.