Rain Gutter Question

[lakeroadster]

I have a question for the rain gutter gurus here on the GJ.

We will be finishing hanging steel (with any luck) on my new Pole Barn this week, this insludes installing rain gutters and downspouts. Because of the slope of the land I would like to dump the downspouts off only one end of the building.

So that means the rain gutters will only slope one direction.

It's a 44' long barn and we live in a semi-arid area.
--- Average rainfall of 10.86 inches. This is 72% less than the average nationwide, and 34% less than the average in Colorado

Do you foresee any issues with that long of a run?

The building came with (4) downspouts. Should I install (2) on one end, just for additional capacity in the event of a downpour to keep the gutters from overflowing?



Think of it as gutters with dual headers... not as a rain gutter with two downspouts.

 

[58Yeoman]

My metal building is 24 x 40, and has the normal 5" gutters emptying on one end only. I've never had a problem, and in the last couple years, we've had some really heavy rain storms.

 

[Chaz]

Mine run almost 80 feet and drain on only one end. I removed the downspout by the man door. because in the winter it laid down an ice patch. It still drains just fine off the right end.

 

[Kevin54]

I run 44' and dump only on one end. No problems at all.

 

[Axehandle]

Like others said, mine are 60' with only 1 downspout no problem. Rainfall last month here was more than your yearly average.

 

[stikman56]

The county code here is no more than 700 sq. ft. of roof area per downspout. That might be a good rule, I dunno, we get plenty of rain, and I'm sure that's devised so that gutters don't run over the top when it rains hard.

 

[speed bump]

Where you are at you should be okay. I would suggest you put some kind of snow control device on the roof (if you haven't already) though as my metal roof dumps snow off over the gutters and I have a pile of snow on both sides of my small garage due to this.

 

[barks]

Gutters seem to be a waste with 11 inches of rain a year.

 

[lakeroadster]

Guys your 1st hand experiences trumps theory everythime. Thanks for your input.

Gutters seem to be a waste with 11 inches of rain a year.

Awesome... that helps. (not)

____

 

[Slednut]

In the winter I remove the down spouts and install a small rope. This way it doesn't plug up with ice and it makes these.

 

[kbs2244]

Slednut:
I love the idea!
I have seen it done with chain, more for looks than anything else.
I just wouner why re-install the downspouts?

 

[atthebeach]

Gutters seem to be a waste with 11 inches of rain a year.

In my neighborhood I would have to disagree. With about 11 inches/year, it doesn't rain here very often; but when it does it can really pour and the ground doesn't perk well. At inside corners of the roof line it can come down like a fire hose and splash the side of the house and destroy the landscaping. I bought a newly built house without gutters and found I needed to install them.

I do have one section with nearly 100' of gutter to the nearest downspout and it seems to work just fine. Now I have oversized 6" gutters and 3" x 4" downspouts which have twice the capacity of the standard 2" x 3" downspouts.

 

[Slednut]

Gutters seem to be a waste with 11 inches of rain a year.

If Lakeroadster pours a pad in front of the building, without gutters the melting snow will run off onto it making the pad an ice rink in the late afternoon and beyond. It does look like the doors maybe facing south which will help.

 

[lakeroadster]

Neat ideas....

I have seen the rope idea, the chain idea and a lot of 3 sided downspouts with no fronts.

I've also seen some that double as wind chimes made from triangular pieces of steel.

FWIW, the overhead doors face East on the new barn.

At our place here, in regard to buildings and frontage during Winter (best to worst):

• South,
• East,
• West (bad due to Continental Divide Collegiate Peaks mountains blocking the sun),
• North

 

[fastjohnny]

You don't mention the size of your downspouts. I'd go with a single 3x4 downspout, good for 1200sq feet of roof area. I would use hangfast hidden hangers every foot, due to potential for snow/ice sliding off roof. Some snow shoes wouldnt hurt...

 

[Ironhorse74]

Mine is 48' long and I live in the Pacific Northwest. I only have one downspout on each side.

Brad

 

[carsdwl11]

I have owned a seamless gutter company for over 15 years and our rule is over 40 ft run gets 2 downspouts , one for each end. If the customer only wants the water on one end of the building I have them step it up to at least 3x4 downspouts. This will work just fine as long as the gutter is installed properly.

I personally prefer to put a 6" gutter and 3x4 downspouts on anything that has a metal roof. The thing with metal is that it sheds the water so fast. This sometimes can create situations where the water is hard to control .

 

[bjcouche]

I would go with the larger 6" gutters instead of the common smaller 5". This will help you in several areas. You will be able to use a larger downspout, and the gutters themselves will be larger. You will want to slope the gutter toward the single downspout. With that much distance, you will find it more of a challenge to get it sloped without having one side too high or the other too low. You don't want the rain to run over the gutter instead of falling into it.
I have a 64' long pole building with downspouts on each end. The genius installer used 5" gutters and sloped it towards the center. The center of mine is 2" lower than the ends. Because they are 5" gutters mounted against the eve, and the roof ends 2-3" over the eve... And the roof is a 4/12 pitch and metal... Any rain more than a sprinkle and the rain runs down the roof fast, and flows right over the gutter without falling into it.
I got two quotes to install new 6" gutters, both >$2000. I decided to just buy the gutters from the local big box store and install them myself for a few hundred. Do it yourself and then you'll know it's done right.

 

[G McKay]

35 feet here. Now if I could only keep the darn leaves out of it to keep it from stopping it up.

 

[lakeroadster]

Non-Pitched Gutters?

You don't mention the size of your downspouts. I'd go with a single 3x4 downspout, good for 1200sq feet of roof area. I would use hangfast hidden hangers every foot, due to potential for snow/ice sliding off roof. Some snow shoes wouldnt hurt...

5" Gutter supplied with the building, including 3 x 4 downspouts, all color matched to the building. Snow block angles are ordered and will be installed before gutters.

Interestingly, the gutter is designed such that it sits level, and isn't pitched toward the downspout? The gutter itself has a press brake bend at the top that slides under the roof.... no way to pitch the gutter with that edge on there.

 

[info2x]

It's not so much length it's roof area that has to drain into it (How much water coming in) and then subsequently how fast you can get rid of it (downspout size). If you have more water coming in than you have going out you'll overflow (assuming the condition exists long enough to fill the gutter)

Perfect example. I have a 6 foot section of gutter that overflows because it has a huge roof area that flows into it.

 

[lakeroadster]

It's not so much length it's roof area that has to drain into it (How much water coming in) and then subsequently how fast you can get rid of it (downspout size). If you have more water coming in than you have going out you'll overflow (assuming the condition exists long enough to fill the gutter)

Perfect example. I have a 6 foot section of gutter that overflows because it has a huge roof area that flows into it.

http://northclad.com/gutter-sizing-calculator/

 

[Ray916MN]

I've got a pole barn with a 48' single gutter run with a single downspout. Works fine. I agree with "speed bump" about some kind of snow control. You want to make sure to either put something on the roof to prevent snow from sliding avalanching off the roof and you want to make sure your gutters don't fill and freeze solid.

Avalanching will tear your gutters off and/or heap snow/ice on your apron and be a PITA to remove. If your gutters freeze solid there is a chance they will overflow if it rains and turn the apron into a skating rink if the rain freezes.

I tucked my gutters under the eaves to prevent them from being torn off and installed heat wire in the gutters and downspouts to make sure I can keep them open.

 

[lakeroadster]

... I would suggest you put some kind of snow control device on the roof (if you haven't already) though as my metal roof dumps snow off over the gutters and I have a pile of snow on both sides of my small garage due to this.

... I agree with "speed bump" about some kind of snow control. You want to make sure to either put something on the roof to prevent snow from sliding avalanching off the roof and you want to make sure your gutters don't fill and freeze solid.

Avalanching will tear your gutters off and/or heap snow/ice on your apron and be a PITA to remove. If your gutters freeze solid there is a chance they will overflow if it rains and turn the apron into a skating rink if the rain freezes.

I tucked my gutters under the eaves to prevent them from being torn off and installed heat wire in the gutters and downspouts to make sure I can keep them open.

Thanks for the advice guys. Here's a couple updated photo's showing gutters and snow control..

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

In the winter I remove the down spouts and install a small rope. This way it doesn't plug up with ice and it makes these.

What a novel idea!

 

[toolmiser]

Here's an idea that you may or may not like. Put downspouts on both ends, but pitch it only to the one you want, that way most rains will go down that side, but in a heavy rain the other end can help with the overload.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Here's an idea that you may or may not like. Put downspouts on both ends, but pitch it only to the one you want, that way most rains will go down that side, but in a heavy rain the other end can help with the overload.

Another great idea. Better down the secondary downspout than over the top.