as I was cleaning my gutters today...
 

I was wondering about something. My gutters are the typical aluminum
things, just like you'd find on the shelf at your local big box. Even
the back side of the house, which really has no overhanging trees, had a
lot of garbage in it. I was wondering why the shape of a typical gutter
was the way it was. I would think that something like a half-round
shape would be less likely to clog, as all the garbage would settle to
the very bottom, to be washed away by even a light rain. Without a
regular heavy rain, the flat bottomed gutters would seem to me to be
more susceptible to buildup.

Is my reasoning wrong?

ISTR seeing old copper gutters that were, in fact, a half round shape...

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
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as I was cleaning my gutters today...
 

Nate Nagel wrote:
I was wondering about something. My gutters are the typical aluminum
things, just like you'd find on the shelf at your local big box. Even
the back side of the house, which really has no overhanging trees,
had a lot of garbage in it. I was wondering why the shape of a
typical gutter was the way it was. I would think that something like
a half-round shape would be less likely to clog, as all the garbage
would settle to the very bottom, to be washed away by even a light
rain. Without a regular heavy rain, the flat bottomed gutters would
seem to me to be more susceptible to buildup.

Is my reasoning wrong?

ISTR seeing old copper gutters that were, in fact, a half round
shape...

My cedar gutters are round inside, and they still clog. I don't think the shape
will make significant difference. Mine are easier to clean, since there are no
ferrules or anything else to obstruct the passage of tools, or in my case, my 10
foot air nozzle I use to blow them out in one pass.

as I was cleaning my gutters today...
 

Nate Nagel wrote:
I was wondering about something. My gutters are the typical aluminum
things, just like you'd find on the shelf at your local big box. Even
the back side of the house, which really has no overhanging trees, had a
lot of garbage in it. I was wondering why the shape of a typical gutter
was the way it was. I would think that something like a half-round
shape would be less likely to clog, as all the garbage would settle to
the very bottom, to be washed away by even a light rain. Without a
regular heavy rain, the flat bottomed gutters would seem to me to be
more susceptible to buildup.

Is my reasoning wrong?

ISTR seeing old copper gutters that were, in fact, a half round shape...

nate


There will be buildup. I think the shape is mostly for looks.

as I was cleaning my gutters today...
 

On Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:45:53 -0400, Nate Nagel
wrote:

I was wondering about something. My gutters are the typical aluminum
things, just like you'd find on the shelf at your local big box. Even
the back side of the house, which really has no overhanging trees, had a
lot of garbage in it. I was wondering why the shape of a typical gutter
was the way it was. I would think that something like a half-round
shape would be less likely to clog, as all the garbage would settle to
the very bottom, to be washed away by even a light rain. Without a
regular heavy rain, the flat bottomed gutters would seem to me to be
more susceptible to buildup.

Is my reasoning wrong?

ISTR seeing old copper gutters that were, in fact, a half round shape...

nate


The shape is intended to look like a formal look. It does
provide some stiffing to the product. Half round also collects about
the same amount of trash.

I had a house that had square shaped "gutters" built in as
part of the roof and not added on. The house was over 100 years old
nearly 50 years ago when I moved there. I lived there for about 20
years and they never blocked up or had any problems. If the did clog
it appears they would just wash the blockage over the side.

as I was cleaning my gutters today...
 

RobertPatrick wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote in
:

I was wondering about something. My gutters are the typical aluminum
things, just like you'd find on the shelf at your local big box. Even
the back side of the house, which really has no overhanging trees, had a
lot of garbage in it. I was wondering why the shape of a typical gutter
was the way it was. I would think that something like a half-round
shape would be less likely to clog, as all the garbage would settle to
the very bottom, to be washed away by even a light rain. Without a
regular heavy rain, the flat bottomed gutters would seem to me to be
more susceptible to buildup.

Is my reasoning wrong?

ISTR seeing old copper gutters that were, in fact, a half round shape...

nate


My neighbor has the half round gutters. His house was built in the 1950s.
Come to think of it....my in laws house was built in the 50s and they have
the half round, also. My guess is that the flat bottom kind are easier and
cheaper to make. Those half round type were made out of sturdy metal.

yes, they would have to be much thicker, and possibly have
reinforcements across the top, otherwise they'd collapse when you set a
ladder against them. I thought about that, but I figured the longer
intervals between cleanings would still make them appealing enough to
justify the higher price... or is the hypothetical advantage not as
great as I'm envisioning it to be?

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

as I was cleaning my gutters today...
 

On Jun 6, 6:56*pm, Nate Nagel wrote:
RobertPatrick wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote in
:

I was wondering about something. *My gutters are the typical aluminum
things, just like you'd find on the shelf at your local big box. *Even
the back side of the house, which really has no overhanging trees, had a
lot of garbage in it. *I was wondering why the shape of a typical gutter
was the way it was. *I would think that something like a half-round
shape would be less likely to clog, as all the garbage would settle to
the very bottom, to be washed away by even a light rain. *Without a
regular heavy rain, the flat bottomed gutters would seem to me to be
more susceptible to buildup.

Is my reasoning wrong?

ISTR seeing old copper gutters that were, in fact, a half round shape....

nate

My neighbor has the half round gutters. *His house was built in the 1950s.
Come to think of it....my in laws house was built in the 50s and they have
the half round, also. *My guess is that the flat bottom kind are easier and
cheaper to make. *Those half round type were made out of sturdy metal..

yes, they would have to be much thicker, and possibly have
reinforcements across the top, otherwise they'd collapse when you set a
ladder against them. *I thought about that, but I figured the longer
intervals between cleanings would still make them appealing enough to
justify the higher price... or is the hypothetical advantage not as
great as I'm envisioning it to be?

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.http://members.cox.net/njnagel

The big reason is capacity. 5" K-style gutters (the common size and
style) have about the same capacity for handling water that a 6" half
round would. Gutters that large would probably look out of proportion
with your house, and I would think they might still collect debris.

JK

as I was cleaning my gutters today...
 

Big_Jake wrote:
On Jun 6, 6:56 pm, Nate Nagel wrote:
RobertPatrick wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote in
:
I was wondering about something. My gutters are the typical aluminum
things, just like you'd find on the shelf at your local big box. Even
the back side of the house, which really has no overhanging trees, had a
lot of garbage in it. I was wondering why the shape of a typical gutter
was the way it was. I would think that something like a half-round
shape would be less likely to clog, as all the garbage would settle to
the very bottom, to be washed away by even a light rain. Without a
regular heavy rain, the flat bottomed gutters would seem to me to be
more susceptible to buildup.
Is my reasoning wrong?
ISTR seeing old copper gutters that were, in fact, a half round shape...
nate
My neighbor has the half round gutters. His house was built in the 1950s.
Come to think of it....my in laws house was built in the 50s and they have
the half round, also. My guess is that the flat bottom kind are easier and
cheaper to make. Those half round type were made out of sturdy metal.
yes, they would have to be much thicker, and possibly have
reinforcements across the top, otherwise they'd collapse when you set a
ladder against them. I thought about that, but I figured the longer
intervals between cleanings would still make them appealing enough to
justify the higher price... or is the hypothetical advantage not as
great as I'm envisioning it to be?

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.http://members.cox.net/njnagel

The big reason is capacity. 5" K-style gutters (the common size and
style) have about the same capacity for handling water that a 6" half
round would. Gutters that large would probably look out of proportion
with your house, and I would think they might still collect debris.

JK

Y'all are over-thinking this. Gutters with a flat backplane are easier
(and faster) for less-than-expert installers to put up without getting
them crooked. I think modern gutter styles are a
post-WWII-building-boom innovation. Leastways, all original gutters I
have seen that are older than that were short sticks, either half-round
or feed-trough style.

--
aem sends...

as I was cleaning my gutters today...
 

as I was cleaning my gutters today...
 

In article ,
aemeijers wrote:

Y'all are over-thinking this. Gutters with a flat backplane are easier
(and faster) for less-than-expert installers to put up without getting
them crooked. I think modern gutter styles are a
post-WWII-building-boom innovation. Leastways, all original gutters I
have seen that are older than that were short sticks, either half-round
or feed-trough style.

I am also thinking that the other kinds would require thicker metal so
you couldn't roll it up and then run it through the machine on site as
easily.

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The inevitable Godwinization of Usenet threads is a principle
as immutable as Newton's Third Law meaning that, for every action
there is an equally disproportionate overreaction.