The Best Style Gutters for a Dutch Colonial Home

Original Gutters

• Many original Dutch colonial houses either had built-in gutters or none at all, if the eaves were wide enough to drain water without gutters and downspouts. Built-in gutters are part of the roof, trenches built just inside the outer edge of the roof, often with downspouts that are hidden in the house trim. Built-in gutters are wood frames, lined with metal, usually copper or treated steel.

Built-Ins Are Rare

• Built-in gutters are rarely used today because they are very expensive to create, difficult to add to an existing roof and require frequent maintenance. They also are prone to water rot and decay, even if lined with copper or steel. Their main advantage is appearance; they are disguised or hidden behind the edge of the roof. They also can be made wider than gutters on the roof edge.

K-Style

• The K-style is the most common gutter form today, so named because its shape when viewed from the side resembles the letter K. K-style gutters are available in 5- or 6-inch widths, with seamless installations to eliminate potential leaks at seams. The K-style was common on Dutch colonial revival houses. Copper was a frequent choice of metal because it resists corrosion and is long-lasting. Coated steel, aluminum and vinyl are other K-style options that can work with a colonial roof.

Half-Round

• Half-round gutters were an early adaptation for Dutch colonial houses as an alternative to built-in gutters. These are semicircles made of metal fastened to the edge of a roof, typically with round rather than rectangular downspouts. Half-round gutters usually are made of copper or steel with a weather-resistant coating. They are attractive on colonial roofs and actually drain water more efficiently than other gutter styles.

Historic Considerations

• If your Dutch colonial house is in a historic district or has historic gutters, check with local building authorities about any replacement. Some historic areas will require that gutters be replaced with identical styles, so a built-in gutter, for instance, may require renovation with a gutter built into the roof.