Why Your House Needs Gutters — Pt. 1

Gutters don’t usually attract a lot of attention, but they are critical to the structural protection of your home. Here’s what gutters can do for your home:

1. Help protect the foundation

Gutters help control the flow of water off your home, keeping the water from ponding and eroding soil around the foundation. Without gutters, the soil around your home experiences extremes of dry and wet conditions, often resulting in soil that shrinks and expands. This movement around and under your foundation can create cracking, heaving, and settling. Controlling the water from the roof helps protect the integrity of the foundation.

2. Minimize erosion

Houses with no gutters experience erosion from the water runoff of the roof, especially below roof valleys. Runoff can create deep ruts or even holes near the foundation. Gutters help direct water away from the foundation, minimizing erosion.

3. Guard the siding of the house

Over time, water runoff down a wall can stain brick or siding. It can weaken mortar joints, create gaps in sealant, and form areas of rot in wood or pressed board siding. If windows are not properly flashed, water can leak inside. Gutters help minimize these kinds of problems.

4. Improve the health of your lawn

After a hard rain, not having gutters can leave a house surrounded by water. This pooling water attracts mosquitoes, termites, cockroaches, and other pests. It can also lead to mold and fungal growth in the lawn.

5. Protect concrete surfaces

Water runoff from a roof can, over time, begin to erode the surface of a driveway, sidewalk, porch, or patio. Unfortunately, some of these surfaces slope back toward the house, creating a water trap. In heavy rains, this condition can even contribute to interior flooding. Gutters help keep water away from these areas.

No matter the age of your house, gutters are an essential part of protecting it.

Next in this series:
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Why Your House Needs Gutters — Pt. 2: Common Problems Inspectors See