Architecture sprang up from humans’ need to survive, so our homes are often different depending on the weather and environment. Your home was meant to adapt to its location, meaning that it will look wildly different from someone’s home on the other half of the country.

If you want to install new gutters, you will need to think about the appearance of your home, as well as the weather common to your area. For instance, southern homes will look different than a northern one, meaning that you would get different types of gutters for each.

Here are the architectural differences between southern homes and northern homes.

Features of Southern Homes

1. They are Breathable

Southern homes allow for more air to travel through them than one in the north. Houses in the south need to adapt to their climate to keep heat from building up in the home like a greenhouse. This means they usually will use larger windows to get air flowing through the building.

Southern homes also usually feature larger porches, since you can spend more time outside all year round. They are designed with airflow in mind, so any large columns will not block a breeze from entering the home.

If you live in the south and need new rain gutters, you will need to consider all of the corners along the edge of your roof and the typically larger overhang. This means that your gutter system should make use of splash guards to keep from running back onto your home.

2. They Last Longer

Southern homes are much more durable than their northern counterparts. They can stay in one family for many generations. This also means that the style of southern houses usually is from an older period and need gutters to match them correctly.

Copper gutters are great for this. They also last many years and add to the period style of your home. They do sometimes age into a green color, however, that depends on the other materials involved and when it happens, it usually makes the rust colors in a brick home look much nicer.

Southern homes will also feature stone walls- these are more durable than fencing made from other materials. If your southern home came with a stone wall, it has likely seen a lot of history!

Most southern states tend to be humid or have a constant heat. For gutters to last, you will need to find gutters made from a resistant material. If you are looking for gutters in  WV or gutters in VA, then this is especially true.

Southern homes are made from durable products, otherwise they would become damaged in the heat. Gutters can bend easier in warmer temperatures, so you want to be sure that the gutters you choose are made from materials as durable as your home.

Features of Northern Homes

Northern homes are much different than the ones in the south. Getting a breeze moving through the house efficiently is not as important and there is more of a focus on good insulation for the harsh winters. The roofs are also shaped with snow in mind and ranch styled homes are more common here.

3. Ranch Style Homes

Ranch houses are not as common in the south as they are in the north. They also need larger gutter systems since they tend to collect more debris and water runoff. Overall, ranch houses are wider than other homes and appear to be flatter, with a low-pitched roof.

They also feature large open floor plans and have oftentimes will have a garage on one side. This is a difference from the taller southern houses, although they do have their takes on what a ranch style home should look like.

If you live in this style of home, you want to be sure that your gutter is draining water properly. Ice can also clog your system during the winter, if that happens, Storm Master Gutters would be happy to come help you.

4. Cottage Style Homes

Homes in the north also usually make use of the cottage style. Between that and the ranch-style, you will be hard-pressed to find any other types of homes in the north. They usually fall into one of those two categories.

Cottage style homes also have a higher pitch than southern houses, giving them a much more slanted appearance. This causes more rain to hit your roof and run down during harder storms, which makes having good gutters a necessity if you live in one of these homes.

They also include balconies, small porches, bay windows, and are usually shingled. Cottage homes are also much smaller than any home in the south and are more likely to be placed next to one another. In the south, homes tend to be spaced much farther apart from one another.

Homes in the north also are older and can carry influences from Victorian or Colonial homes. In those cases, your area might have guidelines on how the outside of your house should look and limit the changes you are allowed to make to it.

There are so many types of gutters, but you want to be sure you have ones installed that can withstand snow and debris if you live in the north. If you are looking for gutters in MD, then Storm Master Gutters can assist you. We love setting people up with their perfect gutters and know what will work the best for the weather in your area.

Conclusion

Since gutters are made from metal they are affected by extreme hot and cold temperatures. You will want to think about the weather in your when shopping for gutters so you can make an informed purchase.

In short, southern and northern homes have many differences due to how the houses were built to adapt to the local weather. For example, you would be hard-pressed to find a southern home with tiny windows, as this greatly reduces potential airflow through the home.