Gutters: Convenience or Necessity?
I can’t tell you how many times a week I have a conversation with a client about the need to add gutters to their home!
Why are gutters so important?
Did you know that 1in of rainfall on an acre of land = 27154 gallons of water. That’s more than 646 barrels of water!
THAT’S INSANE!
Now that we know how much water a small amount of rainfall can produce. Where does it all go when it hits the roof of your home?
Those few inches of rain will hit your roof and runoff the edge, dropping those several thousands of gallons of water at your foundation. With that much water the soil can quickly become saturated and the water will need to find another place to go. Likely through your foundation and into your home.
Water is your home’s worst enemy and needs to be directed away as much as possible. Gutters are the biggest and easiest way to do that.
Common Defects I find
- Only installed over the walkways
I always have a small head shake when I see this. We don’t like to walk under big droplets of water as we leave our home, so many homeowners will install a small run over their walkway for their convenience. Gutters are not intended to keep you dry when it rains but to protect your home from water intrusion and should be installed to do so.
- No extensions at the downspouts
It is one thing to have gutters installed but if you do not add extensions at the downspouts all that runoff water is now being directed to one portion of the foundation. You will likely start to see foundation cracks grow, settlement happen, or interior water signs near that area
- Not maintained over the years
To name a few, gutters can become filled with debris, become loose, and leak at the seams over time. It is important to clean your gutters on a regular basis and ensure they are still properly directing water away from your home.
Return on Investment (ROI)
I often tell my clients that gutters are the best ROI they can get in their home. Gutters are relatively inexpensive when it comes to a home improvement item. An average size home will usually cost less than $1500 to have gutters installed. When we compare that to the cost to repair water damage in your home, it is nothing. Water damage can start at a few thousand and go up to the tens of thousands of dollars to repair depending on the extent of the damage!
**These are estimations of price and can vary from home to home. Check with your local contractors for an exact quote.
Properly installed gutters are the first step to solving the majority of water problems in your home. If you currently have water problems in your basement, take a look outside. Do you have gutters? Are they clear and draining properly? Is the water being directed away at the downspouts?
Here are some images of the damages that can happen from improperly installed gutters.
