Marietta Gutter SpecialistsEast Cobb Gutters Under a Hardwood Canopy
Two-story houses, long eaves and big trees: why gutters in East Cobb work harder, and how to set them up once.
Call (770) 678-7045How East Cobb grew
East Cobb grew as an Atlanta suburb from the 1960s on, and it filled in with the cul-de-sac subdivisions that still define it. Cobb County's own comprehensive plan notes that even Sweat Mountain and Blackjack Mountain have been built up with houses. The result is a large stock of two-story homes from the 1970s through the 1990s, many on wooded lots, many now on their second or third set of gutters.
A ZIP-by-ZIP look
| ZIP | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| 30068 | $599,400 | $150,101 |
| 30062 | $491,200 | $132,631 |
| 30067 | $445,900 | $83,568 |
| 30066 | $403,200 | $116,074 |
Bigger houses mean longer gutter runs, more corners, more downspouts and more roof feeding each gutter. They also mean taller ladders: a cleaning or repair on a two-story East Cobb house is a different job than on a ranch.
Two stories, long runs
A typical East Cobb colonial has long eaves front and back, a steep roof over the entry, and often a valley or two where roof planes meet. Each of those details concentrates water. Long runs need enough pitch to drain and enough downspouts — the federal Building America guide puts it at roughly 1 square inch of downspout per 100 square feet of roof, with downspouts 20 to 50 feet apart.
Under oak, sweetgum and pine
Mature canopy is part of what East Cobb buyers pay for, and it is the main gutter problem here. Oak and sweetgum leaves fill gutters every fall, loblolly needles fall all year, and spring pollen binds it all into a mat. On a two-story house, every cleaning means a tall ladder on a sloped yard, which is why gutter guards are most often worth it on exactly these homes.
Bigger gutters for bigger roofs
When an East Cobb house overflows in summer storms even with clean gutters, the gutter is usually undersized for the roof it serves. Going from 5-inch to 6-inch adds about $1 to $2 per linear foot and carries noticeably more water; adding a downspout to a long run helps too. The 5-inch vs 6-inch note walks through the choice.
Near Sope Creek and the river
East Cobb runs down to the Chattahoochee, and Sope Creek cuts through it past the ruins of the Marietta Paper Mill, built in the 1850s. In the September 2009 flood, Sope Creek near Marietta peaked at 9,400 cubic feet per second. Homes on the slopes above these creeks need downspout water carried away from the foundation and released where it won't cut into the hillside — see downspouts and drainage.
One job instead of three
For a two-story East Cobb house with tired gutters under big trees, the efficient path is usually a single project: replace the gutters, size up where the roof calls for it, and add guards while everything is new.
Two-story home under mature trees?
Ask for replacement, 6-inch and guard options on one estimate.
Before a two-story gutter job
Are 6-inch gutters common on East Cobb homes?
On two-story houses with large, steep roof planes they are a frequent upgrade at replacement time, because a single run can collect water from a lot of roof. Smaller ranch-style homes usually do fine with 5-inch.
Is it worth replacing gutters and adding guards at the same time?
On a tall house under mature trees it usually is: one setup instead of two, and guards fitted to new, properly pitched gutters rather than old ones.
How often do gutters need cleaning under East Cobb's oaks?
Without guards, twice a year is typical under mixed oak and pine — once after spring pollen and catkins, and again after the leaves drop in late fall.