The Importance Of Gutters
Water is the enemy of all homeowners. It seeks out any weakness it can find in a structure and invades. Once moisture gets in it causes problems like mold and rot. Over time it can seriously undermine the structure of a house. Often, the damage occurs in spaces that you can't see, over long periods of time. By the time the damage becomes visible, extensive and costly repairs are often required.
Water that collects along foundation walls is particularly troublesome. If it does not drain away properly it can cause foundation walls and slabs to move which does nothing good for the structure of your home. Limiting the amount of water collecting along your foundation is essential. That is why the grading around your house needs to slope away. That is also why your roof needs a good drainage system.
Your home needs gutters.
I see many homes without gutters during my home inspections, including a lot of newly constructed homes. Water run-off from a roof with no gutters is deposited along the foundation causing issues over time. If your builder omitted gutters to save a few bucks on the construction of your new home, have them installed before your closing.
Gutter systems that offer inadequate drainage for a roof cause the same problems. The gutters fill up and overflow, depositing water along the foundation. Sometimes the size of the gutter is the problem. Other times the gutters do not slope slightly towards the downspouts like they should. Most of the time there are not enough downspouts present. The rule of thumb is one downspout for every 35 feet of gutter. Using larger diameter drain pipe also helps.
Real life examples which caused expensive problems.
Recently, I have inspected two homes between 10 and 15 years-old that had this problem. Both homes had small diameter downspouts serving between 80 and 125 feet of gutter each. One home was also draining water from a higher section of roof directly into the gutters along the lower section, compounding the drainage problem. In both cases, the gutters sloped away from the downspouts causing the water overflow to be concentrated at the low end of the gutter. This caused the back patio to crack and sink in one of the homes, and a section of the slab to sink in the other one. The damage was costly to fix, and could have easily been avoided.
Good drainage alone is not enough.
Your downspouts should always have splash blocks or piping extensions installed to funnel drain water away from your home's foundation. Allowing downspouts to empty next to the foundation defeats the purpose of the entire drainage system. Splash blocks and extensions are inexpensive and they can be purchased at any home center. Also, keep your gutters clean. They do you no good if they are plugged up with debris.
The cost of installing gutters, or improving an inadequate gutter system is small compared to the cost of repairing the damage that will be caused by poor roof drainage. Remember to keep your gutters clean! I know that the task is irritating, particularly when the leaves are falling. Remember that it is a necessary part of home ownership that will help preserve your home for years to come.
If you have concerns about the performance of your gutter system consider booking a home maintenance inspection. A home inspector will perform a though evaluation of your home with the goal of identifying problems before they become costly to repair. This is a very effective strategy for managing some of the cost of home ownership if you have it done periodically. IN THE KNOW Inspections is available to help you with this! Give us a call at (479) 222-1303.