Start with conditions, not a product
Given Piedmont clay soils under a textile-era mill-village housing stock, what matters is roof area, valleys, tree debris, fascia condition, downspout placement, and final discharge, not color.
Build a complete scope
- Roof area and the capacity intense summer storms actually require
- Fascia condition on older cottages before new gutters are hung
- Downspout count and placement rather than a like-for-like replacement
- Where discharge lands downhill, and whether it crosses onto a neighbor
- Debris handling under hardwood canopy, cleaning access, and warranty
Rock Hill context
Where the water is sent is the decision that carries this job in Rock Hill, and rolling terrain is why. Roof water discharged at the uphill side of a house does not soak in and disperse; it runs along the foundation and arrives downhill with force, which is exactly how runoff ends up loading a wall that would otherwise stay dry, or crossing onto a neighboring property. Piedmont clay compounds it, since clay sheds concentrated flow rather than absorbing it and erodes readily beneath it -- a downspout ending at grade cuts a channel and undermines what it crosses. Intense summer rain then decides capacity, because storms here deliver a great deal of water in a short time. Mature hardwoods make debris handling a maintenance question rather than an accessory, and on the older cottages fascia condition usually needs attention first.