I’m looking into having gutters installed on a slate roof. During the winter, snow build up tends to shed off the roof in sheets and I’m concerned that this may rip the gutter system down. Is there any recommended products or practices that I should consider before installing them? I’ve gotten information in a product called the “Gutter Helmet” which is intended to prevent clogging of the gutter due to leaves and other debris. It is glued on top of the existing roofing material and extends over the gutter. My thought is that this will allow the snow to still shed off the roof but not pull the gutters down with it. Any thoughts?
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slate and metal roofs use ice fences to hold on to the snow.
This is important because a big slide can kill someone, or at least mess up a lot of shrubs, parked cars, etc. when it lands on them.
Any company that sells roofing materials for a slate roof will have these in many styles. Victorian ones look best on a slate roof, I think.
Detail the gutters so that the leading edge is 1/4"-1/2" below the plane of the roof.
i.e. if you held a straight edge on top of your roof, and allowed it to cantalever over the edge...hang you gutters so that the outside edge is below this plane. Sliding ice and snow won't catch on the edge and rip them off, but water running off the roof will still go into the gutter in all but the most torrential storms.
That might work occasionaly or in theory but the ice slides can still grab the gutter that way.
I understand this as a retrofit and not new so the two solutions I know as good ones may not work.
One is to use a wood gutter system.
The other is to make up the gutter for installation before the roofing goes on. Make it stout and withj the eave edge bult in to the top edge of the gutter is also the metal up under the shingles for about six inches..
Excellence is its own reward!
Has anyone had any experience with the "Gutter Helmet"?
I have not.
I tend to be sceptical because most of htese kind of systems are kind of gimicky and only last two or three years before the owners remove them after getting tired of the side effect prblems they cause while failing to perform as promised.
Sorry.
Some short cuts are scenic routes while others just get you lost.
.
Excellence is its own reward!
We do a slate roof about every 2 years. I've never had a snow slide take down a gutter. You absolutely want snow guards over all entrances to the home, this includes the garage doors. If you have small children, you might consider doing the whole house. Because of slates longevity we always use copper gutter systems.