Your Home and Gutters

If you have recently bought a home, you may have noticed that it lacks gutters. Looking at the costs associated with installing a full-blown gutter system, you may question if you need gutters in the first place. Below are some reasons you should consider installing gutters on your home.

Erosion Control

If your home was built to code, it sits on a slight slope so water will not sit at the foundation. When rain pours off your roof rather into gutters, it can cause the soil around your home to erode. This will wear down your landscaping and allow the water to sit near your foundation instead of flowing away from it. As the erosion continues over time, the foundation will begin to settle. You may eventually began noticing cracks in the walls and uneven floors.

Gardening

The majority of homeowners have shrubs or flowers up against their home. These plants can serve as a windbreaker against the cold winter winds. Water flowing directly off your roof can wash away those plants. Even if you don’t experience much erosion in the area, your plants could drown from the puddles of water that form. This is especially bad when the snow melts off your roof and drips onto your plants, freezing and potentially killing your evergreens.

Prevent Flooding in Basement

Soil that is saturated with water is very heavy. When the water runs off your roof and pools around the house, a lot of pressure is formed around the foundation. This can cause your basement walls to be pushed in, eventually making them crack. Of course, any cracks that form in your foundation walls become an opening for water to flow in, thus promoting basement flooding. If you live in the area that doesn’t get a lot of rain, the little bit of moisture that does get in your house could create a health hazard as mold begins to grow from the excess moisture.

Protect Your Siding

When it rains, the water carries particles such as asphalt, dirt, and leaves down your siding. This can leave stains on your siding. Over time, your home will look dirty and your curb appeal will be impacted negatively. If the rainwater flows down the siding enough, it can begin to make the wood rot. This is not only unattractive, but it becomes an open invitation for pests in your home. It can also affect the integrity of your home structure, a problem that can be quite expensive to fix.

Conclusion

Gutters should be installed on any home, new or old, to help protect your investment long-term. Installing gutters is not a difficult task, as the video below shows.