Gutters that handle Minnesota rain.

What size gutters do I need in Minnesota?

Most Twin Cities homes need 5-inch seamless aluminum gutters, but steep roofs, large roof planes, and ice-dam-prone homes should be upgraded to 6-inch gutters with 3x4 downspouts. Gutter size should be calculated from roof area and pitch, not from what happens to be on the house already.

Undersized gutters overflow during heavy summer downpours and hold ice longer in the spring — which is exactly what pushes meltwater back under the shingles.

• ✓Water sheeting over the front edge during a hard rain
• ✓Erosion trenches or mulch washout under the eaves
• ✓Peeling paint or rot on fascia boards
• ✓Basement seepage after storms or spring melt
• ✓Sagging runs or gutters pulling away from the fascia
• ✓Icicle curtains along the eaves in January

Do gutter guards actually stop ice dams?

Gutter guards do not stop ice dams — ice dams are caused by attic heat loss and insufficient ventilation melting snow that refreezes at the cold eave. What guards do is keep the gutter clear of debris so meltwater can actually drain once it does thaw, and eliminate the seasonal cleaning that makes clogs into overflow.

If you have recurring ice dams, the durable fix is attic insulation and ventilation, ideally addressed at the same time as the roof. We'll say so rather than sell you a product that won't solve it. The damage they leave behind usually surfaces during spring gutter and roof maintenance, and the calls cluster in older, heavily-treed neighborhoods — Bloomington generates a steady share of our late-winter heat-cable and fascia work every year.

Where should downspouts discharge?

Downspouts should discharge at least six feet from the foundation, onto a hard surface or extension that carries water past the backfill zone. In the Twin Cities most wet basements we see are gutter problems, not foundation problems — the backfill soil around a foundation is looser and absorbs whatever the downspout dumps on it.

We size and place downspouts by roof load, add extensions or underground drops where the grade allows, and keep discharge away from walkways so you're not making an ice rink at the front step.