Gutter Installation & Repair in Little Falls, NJ

Little Falls Flood History, and Where Gutters Fit

The National Weather Service has tracked the Passaic River at its Little Falls gauge since 1903. Flood stage there is 7 feet. The record crest, 14.19 feet, came on August 30, 2011 during Hurricane Irene. Less than two weeks later the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee pushed the river to 11.05 feet. Hurricane Floyd brought it to 9.84 feet in 1999. After Irene, Little Falls and Pompton Lakes shared $2 million in state funds for flood buyouts.

The Peckman River adds a second source. It flows from Verona through Cedar Grove and Little Falls before joining the Passaic in Woodland Park. A 2018 storm caused Peckman flooding in Little Falls described in local coverage as the worst since Floyd, and in 2021 Ida dropped more than seven inches of rain on the area. A $146.2 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project is planned to divert Peckman floodwater to the Passaic, with levees and floodwalls that include a section near Passaic Valley High School.

The honest answer

Gutters do not protect a house from river flooding. If water comes up from the Passaic or the Peckman, no gutter system will stop it. What gutters do is manage the water that lands on your roof. On Little Falls lots outside the flood zones, roof runoff dumped at the foundation is a common reason basements get wet in heavy rain, and that is a problem we can fix.

Seamless Aluminum Gutters for Capes, Ranches and Older Homes

We form seamless aluminum gutters on site to fit each run, so the only joints are at the corners. For Little Falls houses:

• 5-inch K-style suits most Capes and ranches with simple roof lines and modest roof areas.
• 6-inch K-style with larger 3×4-inch downspouts is better for colonials, two- and three-family houses, and any roof where a dormer or addition creates a valley that pours into one spot.
• Extra downspouts are often the cheapest upgrade on long runs. Many older houses have a single downspout on a 40-foot gutter, which cannot keep up in a downpour.

Copper and half-round

For pre-war homes near the historic center, copper or aluminum half-round gutters with round downspouts can suit the architecture better than K-style. Copper costs more but lasts a long time and develops a natural patina.

Before hanging new gutters, we check the fascia. On older houses it is often rotted from years of overflow and has to be replaced so the new gutters stay attached. See our gutter installation page for more.

Leaves, Guards and Maintenance

Little Falls has a lot of mature trees, from the established streets near Main Street to the wooded edges along the Peckman River, the Morris Canal greenway and the county’s Peckman Preserve off Wilmore Road. Those trees fill gutters every fall and again in spring.

• Micro-mesh gutter guards keep out leaves and most seeds and work well under heavy canopy. Expect to brush off needles and fine debris occasionally.
• Seasonal cleaning is the alternative. Our gutter cleaning includes flushing the downspouts, where clogs usually start.
• Repairs for sagging runs, leaking corners and loose hangers are often cheaper than replacement. See gutter repair.

Downspouts, Drainage and Permits

Most Little Falls lots are sized for detached houses, so there is usually room to move water away from the foundation. Use it:

Gutter Questions from Little Falls Homeowners

More Gutter and Roofing Help in Little Falls

For an overview of everything we do in the township, see our Little Falls roofing contractor page. For the bigger picture, visit our Passaic County locations page and our statewide New Jersey gutter services.

Gutter problems often connect to the roof and trim: see roof repair in Little Falls, Little Falls roof replacement and soffit, fascia and siding in Little Falls. Neighbors can visit gutters in Woodland Park, gutters in Totowa and gutter installation in Clifton.