# New metal roof. Should I even HAVE second story gutters?



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

After living the past 35 + years with gutters on a single story house i've determined i wouldn't ever have another house with gutters if i lived to be 500 and built a new house every year. Water is much more manageable at ground level. I have no doubt this answers your question about what i would do.:wink2:


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

I always prefer gutters. Sometimes the water can be less "gentle". Anyone see what a stream did to some rock in Arizona?


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## firebob (May 26, 2020)

I don't like gutters my self and do not have them on my house.


With out gutters the soil type and grading around your house are much more important to handle the water run off.


I don't know of anything made commercial that would diffuse the water from the second story.


I don't see where you live. Do you deal with snow and if so how much? to me gutters, snow, and metal roof can get tricky.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Water pouring off an upper roof will prematurely wear on most roof substrates, including metal, in this case.


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

Gutter splash guard. 















You can also extend the leader down the roof, but I don't recall noticing that ever done on a metal roof. Maybe can also reroute the second floor downspouts directy down to grade depending on where they are at.


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## firebob (May 26, 2020)

Without knowing about where someone lives and snow issues I would not suggest some stuff as it could lead to other issues like ice dams.


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## MOA_Chaser (Feb 20, 2017)

I am in western PA, so yes, I am vulnerable to snow and ice.


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## firebob (May 26, 2020)

I was born in Erie and spent my younger years out side of Oil Creek, PA.


What ever you do you need to think about ice dams and what will happen when the snow / ice sheets off the roof. I would think you would have snow guards between 12 and 24" from the edge of the roof, but I live 8.5+ hours away and don't know how they deal with snow up there.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Ice dams are a result of poor insulation or roof venting. Gutters have nothing to do with the formation of ice dams as much as they do the ability to exacerbate them.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

You don’t need second floor gutters unless you get tired of the upper water cascading down on the lower roof and sounding like a cow pissing on a flat rock.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

If you have ever been on a farm, that last little analogy holds very true about the noise.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Windows on Wash said:


> If you have ever been on a farm, that last little analogy holds very true about the noise.


And you haven't lived until you milk that cow while on a concrete floor. The noise is the least of your problems. OH MY, how some of these topics can take a turn for the worst.


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## firebob (May 26, 2020)

SeniorSitizen said:


> And you haven't lived until you milk that cow while on a concrete floor. The noise is the least of your problems. OH MY, how some of these topics can take a turn for the worst.



I milked cows full time when in high school. Never stand behind a cow when you change there feed.


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