Rain Diverters Help But Don't Replace Gutters

Roof rain diverters are strips of metal bent into an L shape that sit on the roof. Rain flows down to the diverters, hits them, and runs along the diverters to their edges, where the rain then is directed into appropriate channels. But rain diverters can't take the place of gutters that sit at the end of the roof and allow everything to flow to a downspout.

Diverters Help Direct Runoff, but Gutters Protect Your Property

Roof rain diverters direct the flow of water down a roof toward specific points, and they help prevent much of the runoff from reaching the edges of the roof all the way around the home. But they don't catch that rain that falls between the diverter and the edge of the roof, so there's still runoff going over the edge of the roof if there is no gutter. If you want to protect hardscaping and landscaping around your home from all runoff, you'd need gutters and not just diverters.

Gutters Are More Discreet

Gutters may initially seem less "hidden"; you're putting this metal ring around your entire roof, so obviously, people are going to see it. But the gutters sit right at the end of the roof, not in the middle of the shingles. Diverters sit on the roof, breaking up the flat expanse with a very visible line. While diverters can be very helpful, if you want runoff control to be more discreet, a gutter is the better choice. Plus, people are used to seeing gutters on homes, and they won't stand out as much.

Gutters May Handle Hail More Easily

A severe hail storm with very large hail can be destructive to anything on your roof. But moderate hail may be less damaging to a gutter that's installed properly. A roof rain diverter is just a bent sheet of metal that hail stones can hit and dent — and those dents can then lead to the rain runoff suddenly running in other directions, off the middle of the diverter and onto parts of the roof you were trying to protect. While metal gutters can also be damaged by hail, it takes more force and more damage to cause the gutter to fail to the point where water runs out before reaching a downspout. Having gutters around your roof offers way more protection if your area has regular hail storms.

Contact a professional for more information about gutter services.