Q & A - Dutch Gutters, Why Do My Gutters Clog?

What causes gutters to clog and how to solve this problem.

I received this question a while back from an elderly man concerned about having to get up on the roof to sweep off the leaves and clean out the clogged drains many times during the year. Most Dutch gutters I have seen are on steep slope homes built in the 1930s. I have seen these gutters up the roof three or four courses and clad with copper.

These gutters here can be called a type of Dutch gutter but I believe this roof at one time was Tar and Gravel. The fascia rises above the roof deck level on the eaves and rakes with a cant strip to give the roofing a better installation and water control. The gravel than installed over the BUR ( built-up roofing ). The Tar and Gravel roof here was removed and shingles installed but in this case a low slope roofing was installed on the eaves like before, then the asphalt shingles were installed. This gutter system works ok but in this case, clogs up too often. The vegetation seen in the picture may be the cause of dams and clogs but the drains are probably too small and not enough.

I would recommend a larger drain hole and downspout or a rain chain to solve this problem here. There is another option and that is cutting a five-inch notch out of the fascia board near the corner, flash in a scupper and this area should never dam up anymore.

Downspouts are the main cause of clogs. Twigs and an overload of leaf debris just cannot go through the downspout opening and elbows quickly enough and the water pressure covers and closes the outlet on the roof.

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