During a summer storm, water pours over the front of your gutters like a waterfall, right onto the walkway. Or the downspout dumps everything next to the foundation, and the mulch bed washes out every time it rains. You’ve cleaned them, and they still overflow. At this point you’re not sure if they need cleaning, fixing or replacing.
Good gutters in Clermont, FL start with the roof above them, not a price per foot. APC Roofing installs seamless gutters as a roofing company, so the spot where your roof edge meets the gutter is part of the plan from the start. We’re GAF Certified, licensed in Florida (CCC1337030) and insured, and your estimate is free.
Why Clermont gutters overflow
Gutters don’t fail because of how much it rains in a year. They fail in the ten minutes when a Central Florida thunderstorm parks over your house and dumps rain faster than the system can carry it. Gutter sizing is built around that peak rate, and a lot of homes have gutters that were never sized for it.
Two numbers decide whether a system can keep up:
Gutter width. On homes, you’ll usually be quoted a 5-inch or 6-inch K-style gutter. The 6-inch profile carries a good deal more water. On a small, low roof, a 5-inch gutter may be plenty. On a large or steep roof that drains into one run, the bigger gutter can be the difference between flowing and overflowing.
Downspouts. This is the part almost nobody asks about, and it’s the one that fails most. A standard 2×3 downspout handles far less roof area than a 3×4. If your roof needs three downspouts on one side and it only has one, no amount of cleaning will fix the overflow. That’s a design problem.
Hot spots that overwhelm a gutter
Roofs don’t send water to the gutter evenly. A valley collects water from two roof slopes and dumps it onto a short stretch of gutter. That one spot can overflow storm after storm while the rest of the run is fine. The usual fix is a downspout placed near where the valley lands, not a bigger gutter.
Upper roofs cause the same problem. A downspout from a second-story roof that empties onto a lower roof concentrates a lot of water in one place, wears the shingles there and overloads the gutter below. Running that downspout past the lower roof fixes both.
Long runs matter too. Past roughly 35 to 40 feet, a run usually needs another outlet. And every gutter needs a slight, even slope toward its downspouts, enough to keep water moving without looking crooked from the street.
Where the water goes after it leaves the gutter
A gutter that collects water off a whole roof and then drops it right next to the house hasn’t solved anything. Many Florida homes sit on a concrete slab, and water that keeps landing at the slab edge can wash soil out from under it, leave damp spots on the floor of a room near that wall and erode your landscaping.
You have a few ways to move that water away:
- Splash blocks slow the water and spread it out, but only move it a short distance.
- Downspout extensions carry water several feet from the house. They’re inexpensive, but they get knocked off by mowers and often never get put back.
- Buried drain lines carry water well away from the house and stay out of sight. They need a clean-out so a clog can be cleared.
The ground matters as much as the downspout. Soil around a house should slope away from the wall. A downspout that empties onto ground sloping back toward the slab is working against you.
Trees, storms and gutter cleaning in Central Florida
The “clean them in spring and fall” advice comes from colder places. Around Clermont, live oaks drop their old leaves in spring as new growth comes in, and pines shed needles for much of the year. Fine debris like oak tassels and pine needles is what clogs gutters here. It slips past many gutter guards and packs into a mat at the low spots. How often you need cleaning depends on the trees near your roof.
Watch what comes out of your downspouts, too. A little shingle granule in the gutter is normal. A sudden increase is a sign your roof is wearing, and it’s worth a call.
Hurricane season brings its own wear. High winds can loosen hangers, bend runs and pull gutters away from the fascia. A gutter that’s been tweaked by wind may look fine and drain fine in a normal rain, then fail in the next big storm. If a storm damaged your gutters, photos of dents and bends can help document the damage for your insurance claim. You file the claim and pay your deductible, and APC Roofing provides the documentation and estimate and works with your adjuster.
The board behind the gutter
Gutters hang on the fascia board. When water has been running behind an old gutter for years, that board is often soft by the time the gutter comes down. A fastener in soft wood holds for a while and then lets go, usually when the gutter is full and heaviest. If the fascia is rotted, you’ll see it in the photos and it’ll be priced as separate work. APC Roofing repairs fascia and soffits as well.
The roof edge matters too. Drip edge metal along the bottom of the roof keeps water from curling back onto the fascia. Because we work on roofs, that detail gets checked with the gutters instead of being left to chance.
Gutter options we offer in Clermont
Seamless gutters, formed on site to fit each run with no joints along its length, are a common choice for a replacement. If you’re adding gutters to a home that has none, or to a new addition, see gutter installation.
How it works
- Book your free estimate. Call 407-270-1129 or request a free estimate online.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. We measure the roof area that drains to each run, check the fascia and roof edge, and show you what size gutters and how many downspouts your home needs. The estimate spells out profile, material, downspouts and where the water goes.
- Your gutters get installed and the site gets cleaned up. The work is scheduled for dry weather so sealants cure, and the crew cleans up before leaving.
Gutter questions from Clermont homeowners
Do I need 5-inch or 6-inch gutters?
Larger and steeper roofs usually need 6-inch gutters, and smaller, lower roofs can do fine with 5-inch. The deciding numbers are the roof area draining into each run and its pitch, and your estimate will show both.
Will gutter guards stop me from cleaning?
They cut down on cleaning, but they don’t end it, especially under pines and oaks. Fine debris still gets through some guards, and in very heavy rain some water can skip past them.
My gutters overflow at one corner. Do I need new gutters?
Not always. Overflow at one spot is often a valley dumping too much water in one place, or a clogged or undersized downspout. Adding or moving a downspout can fix it.
Can you replace my gutters when you replace my roof?
Yes. Doing both together lets the roof edge, drip edge and gutters get planned as one system.
Get gutters in Clermont, FL that keep up
Call 407-270-1129 for a free gutter estimate, or request one online. See everything else APC Roofing does on our Clermont roofing page.
Next summer, the storm rolls in, the gutters carry it off, and the walkway stays dry.
