Gutters in Sweetwater, FL

Under the residential code, a house whose eaves project less than 6 inches needs gutters and downspouts. Gable end rakes and roofs over another roof are exempt. The discharge point must sit a foot or more clear of the sidewall, using buried pipe, a tail extension or a splash block.

With a 24-hour, 10-year depth of 8.51 inches in this town, water that exits near the foundation has nowhere to go but the slab edge. Only 19.4 percent of Sweetwater housing units are single-family detached, so many roofs share walls or lot lines, and the extension matters as much as the gutter size.

Miami-Dade County gets 76.6 percent of its annual rain from May through October, measured at Miami International Airport. Gutters that sit clogged going into June face the heaviest months with the least capacity.

Southern live oaks in this area can reach 60 to 80 feet with a 60 to 120 foot spread, and their leaves and fruit form a litter problem for gutters. Oaks and pines are the main pollen producers from January to June, with peaks in March and April.

Tower Hill Insurance Group advises cleaning gutters at least twice a year, and sooner when storms are frequent. Fine-mesh guards outperformed larger-hole screens in Consumer Reports testing, but they still need brushing in high-pollen seasons. NWS Miami also says not to work on roof tops when thunder can be heard.