Gutter cleaning, repair and new gutters in Decatur, GA

Cleanout calendar

Median frost dates for Decatur: first in fall about November 9, last in spring about March 25 (NOAA). Schedule the leaf cleanout once the frost has come and the hardwoods are bare, and a second pass after the spring pine pollen.

More on the timing, and on how the trees over a roof change it: when to clean gutters in metro Atlanta.

Downpours and downspouts

Think of the five minutes when a storm opens up. For Decatur, NOAA Atlas 14 puts the ten-year, five-minute burst at 7.81 inches an hour. Using the Copper Development Association rule, that means roughly 920 sq ft of roof per 2×3 downspout, or 1,840 sq ft per 3×4.

Work out your own roof with the gutter size calculator, which uses this figure for Decatur.

Decatur’s houses

The typical house in Decatur dates to 1975, and 54% predate 1980 (Census ACS). Original gutters on houses this age are near the end of their run; check the wood they hang on too. Painted fascia on pre-1978 houses brings in the EPA lead-safe rule above 20 square feet; ask for a certified crew.

Owners occupy 66% of homes; 48% are single-family detached and 9% attached. Check HOA rules before changing gutter color or style.

Runoff, drains and the county

Decatur is an incorporated city, so questions about street drains, ditches and runoff start with the city’s public works office; DeKalb County answers for the unincorporated areas around it. The gutter’s job ends at the downspout: water let out next to the foundation can come back as a wet crawl space or a washed-out bed. Downspouts and drainage