Summer storm gutter prep for Buckhead and West Atlanta, built for red clay.

About 13.6 inches from June through August at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, based on NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals: 4.54 inches in June, 4.75 in July and 4.30 in August. July is the wettest month of the year there. Atlanta averages about 50.4 inches of rain a year, and much of the summer total falls in short, heavy thunderstorms rather than long, steady rain.

Thunderstorms are most common from June through August, and July is the peak. The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City counts an average of 8.6 thunderstorm days at Atlanta in June, 10.3 in July and 8.0 in August, about 27 of the year’s roughly 50. In those months the Weather Service says wind damage is most likely from mid afternoon through early evening.

Start with a full cleaning and a flush of every downspout, then find the spots that overflow in a hard rain: valleys, long runs and inside corners. Upsize to 6 inch gutters and 3×4 downspouts where a 5 inch system cannot keep up, add a second drop on long runs, and carry every downspout off the clay to a downhill outlet or underground line. BroGuard fine metal mesh keeps storm-blown leaves out.

Between fall and late spring, before thunderstorms ramp up in June. Thunderstorms are least common in winter, which makes it the easiest time to resize gutters and route drainage. A Solutionist walks the roofline and the crew does the work the same day whenever possible, with a written report first. Call (770) 213-1621 for a free estimate.

Because clay takes water in slowly. UGA Extension notes that soils high in clay, or compacted during construction, may not have the capacity to infiltrate well, and USDA describes Piedmont soils like the Cecil series as red clay from about 8 to 42 inches down. When a downspout dumps on that ground, the water pools at the foundation or runs across the yard, carrying clay with it.

Usually because the storm delivers water faster than the system can drain it. NOAA Atlas 14 puts a two-year Buckhead storm at 0.83 inch in 15 minutes, about 34 gallons a minute off every 1,000 square feet of roof at its peak. A 5 inch gutter on a long run or below a valley, draining to one 2×3 downspout, can fill and spill over the front even when it is perfectly clean.

On large or steep roofs, long runs and anywhere a valley feeds the gutter, often yes. A 6 inch gutter carries about 40 percent more water than a 5 inch one, and pairing it with 3×4 downspouts doubles the opening of a standard 2×3. Big Buckhead roofs and newer two-story homes in Smyrna and Marietta are where we recommend it most. We form them on site in 5, 6 and 7 inch sizes.

Away from the house and toward ground that keeps falling, to an outlet that will not wash out. Never send a downspout straight down a bare slope, where it will cut a gully in the clay. On steep lots, or where a walk or drive is in the way, an underground line carries the water to a stable spot below the house.

A buried pipe tied to the bottom of a downspout that carries roof water away from the house to a downhill outlet. It keeps water off the foundation with nothing lying across the lawn, and it suits sloped lots where open runoff would erode the clay.

Sometimes, but it has to be built for clay. UGA Extension sizes rain gardens at about 10 to 15 percent of the draining area on clay soils, roughly twice the 5 to 8 percent used on sandy soil, and recommends replacing poorly draining clay with a better mix. UGA also advises against rain gardens on slopes greater than 12 percent or inside the dripline of large trees.

After a hard rain, look for gullies cut below downspout outlets, a fan of red silt across the driveway or sidewalk, exposed roots near the house, and dirt streaks on the outside face of the gutter where water spilled over. A spot that stays soggy for days next to the foundation is another sign. Any one of these means roof water is landing where it should not.

Yes, if they are the right kind. Storm wind strips oak leaves, pine straw and sweetgum balls loose mid-storm, and BroGuard fine metal mesh keeps them on top while heavy rain runs through, so the gutter stays open at the peak. BroGuard carries a limited lifetime warranty.