Gutters in Lighthouse Point, FL

The residential code calls for gutters and downspouts where eaves project less than 6 inches. It also sets the discharge point: at least 1 foot from the sidewall, by buried pipe, tail extension or splash block. With 55.7 percent of housing units here being single-family detached, many lots have a side yard where a short downspout can soak the foundation.

• Measure from each downspout outlet to the wall, and add an extension where the gap is under 1 foot.
• Compare each leader's capacity with the roof area it serves.
• After a hard rain, look for stains or eroded soil where each downspout lets go.

Gutters on Broward homes must also be fastened with corrosion-resistant hardware matched to the gutter material. Confirm the attachment method with the City of Lighthouse Point Building & Zoning office before work starts, since local practice on who may install gutter-only work is not settled in the sources we hold.

Southern live oaks, which spread 60 to 120 feet, shed leaves that litter gutters beneath them. Oak and pine pollen peaks in March and April, and pine needles fall mostly in autumn. A gutter under a dense canopy fills sooner than one in the open.

Broward gets 60.95 inches of rain a year at the Fort Lauderdale airport, and 71.9 percent of it falls from May through October. Clear the gutters in late April or May, before that stretch begins, and again after the autumn needle drop. Insurer guidance also calls for at least two cleanings a year.