Gutters in Sewall's Point, FL

Downspouts carry the water the gutters collect. The plumbing table rates a 3 by 4 1/4 inch or 4-inch round leader at 192 gallons per minute, and a 2 by 2 inch leader at only 30. A standard small downspout cannot take the flow from a long roof run, even if the gutter above it is adequate. Size each leader against the roof area draining to it, since Sewall's Point's 99.5 percent single-family detached housing means most lots carry one roof run per downspout line.

The residential code requires each downspout to discharge at least 1 foot from the building's sidewall, whether by underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks. On a Sewall's Point lot, that water must not run back toward the foundation or onto a neighbor's yard. Check where each downspout ends before a storm season.

Southern live oaks in Florida can reach 60 to 80 feet tall with a 60 to 120 foot spread, and their leaves and fruit are a litter problem in gutters. Expect pollen from January through June, with the heaviest counts landing in March and April. Needles drop heaviest between September and November. A clogged gutter stops carrying water, so these trees set your cleaning schedule.

Clean gutters at least twice a year, usually in spring and fall, and more often under heavy canopy. Before the June to September storm season, check that water is leaving the downspouts freely. If you climb a ladder, avoid it when thunder can be heard, because lightning can strike several miles from the parent storm.