Why Are My Tucson Gutters Overflowing During Monsoon Storms?

A lot of homeowners in Tucson notice this the first time a real monsoon storm rolls through. Rain starts coming down pretty hard… and suddenly water is pouring right over the front of the gutters. Not exactly how it’s supposed to work.

Most of the year gutters barely do anything here. Long dry stretches. Lots of sun. So people don’t think about them much. Meanwhile dust settles in there. Little leaves drop in. Roof grit slowly washes down. Nothing dramatic. Just small stuff building up.

Then a storm shows up and all that buildup suddenly matters.

Around Tucson, CR Gutters, Inc.™ gets plenty of calls right after storms for this exact thing. A homeowner sees water dumping over the edge of the gutter and assumes something is broken. Usually it isn’t. Most of the time the gutters are just clogged… or struggling to handle the runoff.

Once water can’t move through the gutter, it spills out.

The most common reason gutters overflow

Most of the time it’s simple.

The gutters are clogged.

Even in the desert, debris finds its way in there. Wind blows dust around constantly in Tucson and it settles inside the gutter channel. Leaves from palo verde trees drop in. Twigs land on the roof after windy days. Over time it all piles up.

Then a monsoon storm hits and water rushes off the roof fast. The debris blocks the flow and the water just spills over the front.

Some of the common things that clog Tucson gutters:

• Desert dust and dirt
• Leaves from nearby trees
• Small twigs after windy days
• Roof granules washing down from shingles
• Random wind-blown debris

It builds up slowly, which is why people usually don’t notice until the first big storm.

Sometimes the gutters are just too small

Clogs aren’t always the problem though.

Sometimes the gutters are clean… but still overflow. Monsoon storms can push a lot of water off a roof really fast. If the gutter channel isn’t big enough, it fills up quickly and the extra water just spills over. Homes with bigger roofs or steeper slopes usually run into this more often.

A few signs the gutters might be undersized:

• Water pouring over during most heavy storms
• Gutters filling up quickly when it rains
• Overflow near roof valleys
• Downspouts struggling to keep up

In those cases, larger gutters can usually handle the runoff better.

Gutter slope can also cause problems

Another thing people don’t think about much… gutter slope.

Gutters are supposed to tilt a little toward the downspouts so the water can move along. If that slope is off, water just sits there.

And when water sits, debris piles up faster. Dust, leaves, roof grit… it all collects. Sometimes a small adjustment to the gutter fixes the whole thing.

Most of the time it’s not a big repair. A cleaning or small adjustment usually fixes it.

For many Tucson homes, gutter cleaning or minor fixes usually land somewhere around $200 to $600, depending on the house and how much debris is packed in there.

If your gutters spill water during monsoon storms, it’s probably time to have them looked at. Debris builds up slowly here… then the first heavy rain suddenly exposes the problem.

You can call CR Gutters, Inc.™ at (602) 671-3476 for gutter cleaning in Tucson. A quick visit clears out the dust and junk so water drains the way it should.