Taking the Confusion Out of Carpeting

3 Common Gutter Shapes

If you are ready to put gutters on your home, then one decision to make is what shape the gutters should be. There are three main guttering shapes, with each providing some benefits as well as drawbacks. 

1. K-Style

On modern homes, K-style gutters are one of the most common choices. The name comes from the shape of the gutter, which resembles the silhouette of the letter K. The gutter troughs have a squared back and bottom wall, but the front wall flares forward and curves to create the K shape. 

K-style gutters are popular for many reasons. First, the fluted front wall shape looks highly decorative along the eaves. The shape also allows for a higher volume of water runoff, which is very useful in areas with heavy rainfall. Finally, you can find K-style gutters in nearly any material as well as in seamless guttering options. The only real drawback is that the sharp corners in the trough can cause debris to occasionally get stuck.

2. Half Round

Once upon a time, half round gutters, which look just like a half-pipe, were the most common type of gutters to find on homes. You may still see original half round gutters on older homes that haven't yet been updated. Modern installers can also put in half round gutters if you prefer them, which may be the case if you want to keep the charming original appearance of an older home. 

Some seamless installers are set up to make half round gutters, and you can usually find them in aluminum or other metals. Half round isn't commonly available in vinyl, though. Half round gutters don't have the water capacity of K-style gutters, but the round shape makes them less likely to catch debris. 

3. Box Gutters

Box gutters are just as they sound, a rectangular trough with no curved or fluted surfaces. This means the gutters can be made to carry a high capacity of water, which can be a must for steep roofs in areas that receive heavy rainfall or frequent cloudbursts. 

Strong metals like galvanized steel are most often used for box gutters simply due to the weight of water they are designed to carry. Your roof eaves must be able to support the extra weight of these heavier gutters, though. The good news is they are usually easier to clean than K-style gutters due to the wider troughs. 

Contact a residential gutter installation service if you are ready to put in new guttering on your home. 


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