Most homes in the U.S. have gutters. They’re designed to reroute water from heavy rains and snowmelt off of and away from the home; when you consider the fact that the average roof collects 600 gallons of water with just one inch of rainfall, you can understand why residential gutter systems are so important. Unfortunately, it’s possible for them to fail. If you notice that your rain gutters are constantly overflowing, one of the following three problems may be the reason why.

1. They’re clogged. Both residential and commercial rain gutters need to be cleaned out at least twice a year. If you neglect this task, they could end up clogged full of leaves, shingle granules, sticks from broken tree limbs, and even plastic bags. As a result, your gutters won’t be able to do their job; your basement may become inundated with water, and you might end up needing residential gutter repair services.
2. They aren’t positioned correctly. The pitch and tilt of your gutters make them able to collect rainwater; if the gutter is tilted away from your house, you might notice it overflowing, especially during heavy storms. The pitch (which describes the heading towards a downspout) can also cause overflow if it’s too steep. The lack of pitch can cause the same problem as it’s forcing the water to gather in one spot rather than flow toward an exit.
3. They aren’t big enough. If you’ve already checked the above problems and haven’t been able to find an answer, it might simply be that your gutters are too small. There are a number of types of gutters, from the shape to the material they’re made out of; when they’re too small for the amount of rain your region receives, they’ll have no option but to overflow.

Overflowing gutters can pose a serious threat to your home. They can cause your basement to flood and lead to an incredible amount of water damage. It’s a good idea to rule out the possibilities one at a time; if no solution presents itself, you might need residential gutter repair. Fortunately, all of these problems are solvable!