Pitch or it ponds
What Causes Standing Water in Gutters?
Water that sits after the rain has stopped is a pitch, hanger, or outlet problem—not a mystery. We slope 1/4 inch per 10 feet toward a clear downspout. Anything less ponds, breeds mosquitoes, and wicks the fascia.
A seamless trough can still hold water if the hangers have pulled, if the fascia has sagged, or if the outlet is higher than the run. Sectional systems add a joint every 10 feet that leaks while the next panel still ponds. Cleaning packed leaves is step one. If the trough is still wet the next afternoon, the geometry is wrong.
How we re-pitch
We lift the run, set hidden hangers into rafter tails, and establish fall to the outlet. If the fascia is a banana, we replace the board first—see fascia repair. If the outlet is undersized, we open it to 3x4. Gutter repair covers sagging and pulled hangers. Downspout work covers the clog that makes a perfect pitch still pond.
Metal roofs and steep pitches dump volume fast. A 5-inch trough with a 2x3 can overflow even when pitch is correct. That is a sizing call: 5-inch vs 6-inch.