6" GUTTER...DO I NEED IT?
SOME GUTTER CONTRACTORS FIND THEMSELVES SEARCHING FOR A WAY TO BEAT THEIR COMPETITION BY COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES, IN THIS CASE 6-K vs 5-K. SOME OF THESE SAME GUTTER CONTRACTORS BOUGHT SIX INCH GUTTER MACHINES FOR USE IN THE NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION MARKET WHICH IN RECENT YEARS HAS ALL BUT DISAPPEARED. WITH VERY FEW LARGE HOMES ENGINEERED FOR THE NEED OF SIX INCH GUTTER, THESE GUTTER CONTRACTORS ARE LEFT WITH LESS WORK AND AN EXPENSIVE MACHINE THAT SITS IDLE NOT PAYING FOR ITSELF ANY LONGER. IN TODAYS MARKET SOME UNSCRUPULOUS GUTTER CONTRACTORS FIND THE NEED TO OFFER SIX INCH GUTTER WHEN FIVE INCH IS SUFFICIENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO STEAL A JOB AWAY FROM AN HONEST COMPANY WITH THE PITCH "MORE IS BETTER". IN MOST CASES "MORE" IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER FOR EVERY HOME OR SITUATION, IN MANY CASES THE OFFER OF 6-K STYLE GUTTER IN LU OF 5-K STYLE GUTTER IS AN ATTEMPT TO UPSTAGE THE OTHER GUY WITH A BIGGER SO CALLED BETTER VERSION OF THE SAME PRODUCT THAT IS MOST LIKELY NOT NECESSARY FOR EFFICIENT HANDLING OF NORMAL RAINFALL. THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO PUT PROFIT AHEAD OF CONSIDERATION FOR THE HOME OWNERS ACTUAL NEED OF THE PRODUCT. IF YOU HEAR ANY OF THESE PITCHES YOU MAY WANT TO QUESTION THE CONTRACTORS MOTIVES. SALES PITCH SIX INCH GUTTER WILL LET THE LEAVES AND OTHER DEBRIS WASH RIGHT DOWN THE DOWNSPOUT WITH NO NEED FOR COVERS. IN REALITY A LARGER GUTTER ACTUALLY WILL HOLD MORE DEBRIS THAN A STANDARD FIVE INCH GUTTER AND IS NOT SELF CLEANING. SALES PITCH FOR THOSE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS 6-K STYLE GUTTER CAN HANDLE A LARGER VOLUME OF WATER THAN 5-K STYLE GUTTER. IN REALITY TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS ARE RARE IN MICHIGAN AND EVEN SIX INCH GUTTER CAN BE OVERWHELMED AND OVER FLOW. SALES PITCH SOMETIMES A SALES PERSON MIGHT SAY THEY ARE EXPERTS IN EVALUATING YOUR ROOF AREA AND PRESCRIBING 6" GUTTER AS THE CURE ALL TO YOUR PROBLEMS IN REALITY YOUR HOME WAS ENGINEERED BY AN ARCHITECT AND APPROVED BY AN ENGINEER BOTH OF WHOM HAVE EXTENSIVE EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING PRODUCTS AND THEIR SUITABLE USES. SO IF YOUR HOME WAS ORIGINALLY FITTED WITH 5-K STYLE GUTTER, IT'S MORE THAN LIKELY THAT THE ARCHITECT SPECIFIED 5-K STYLE BECAUSE IT WAS ADEQUATE FOR YOUR ROOFS PITCH, YOUR HOMES STYLE AND THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL EXPECTATIONS FOR THE AREA YOU LIVE. |
| 5/8 |
| 1 |
| 6 |
| 4 7/8 |
| 3 7/8 |
| 4 5/8 |
| 9/16 |
6-k
5-k
| 5 |
| 3 5/16 |
| 3 7/16 |
| 9/16 |
| 3 7/16 |
| 5/8 |
| 9/16 |
COMPARE THE DIMENSIONS OF 5-K vs 6-K
| NOTE THAT 6-K GUTTER WILL COVER AND IN MOST CASES HANG OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE FASCIA BOARD AFTER PITCHING ON HOMES NOT DESIGNED TO HAVE MORE THAN 5" GUTTER. |
| UNLESS YOU HAVE A HOME WITH A ROOF DESIGN LIKE THE ABOVE PICTURE YOU PROBABLY WILL NOT NEED 6-K STYLE GUTTER |
| THE TWO ABOVE HOMES WERE ORIGINALLY DESIGNED WITH 4-K STYLE GUTTER WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS ALL THAT WAS AVAILABLE |
| ABOVE HOME ENGINEERED WITH 5-K STYLE GUTTER |
| ALL VIEWS DESCRIBED ARE THE OPINION OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF A.M.G. GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS ALL INFORMATION SHOULD BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED |