Some homeowners don’t have gutters at home and usually this is a huge mistake, overlooking it may lead to small and big problems alike. Gutters sometimes clog and they are a pain to clean, not cleaning them may be a bigger problem than having no gutters, right? The following is a list of reasons to install gutters and downspouts.
The main reason for gutters is to prevent erosion. When you had your home built, it usually has a slight slope so that the runoff goes away from the foundation but, if you have no gutters and rain flows off the roof, this water falls directly next to your home and erodes the soil around the foundation. Washing away this soil is a real danger because this may cause your foundation to settle and then you will notice uneven floors and cracked walls. This is a real threat not to be taken lightly!
If you plant flowers around your house, you need gutters. Not having them will cause rain to wash away your garden and this is no fun. The surrounding garden can be taken as a beautiful thing to take care of, but it is also a good way to keep cold wind out of your home in winter. But it is not just a matter of washing away your plants, puddle formations will cause them to drown to death and, if it is winter, this will cause frozen ones to appear around your home which is not only awful to see but also dangerous for those walking around.
Wet soil is very heavy so, when you have water running off the roof and then it pools around your house, this causes a nasty pressure on the foundation. With time this will cause your basement walls to crack due to inward pressure. Even a little tiny crack will cause your basement to get water, and although it doesn’t seem substantial and a big problem, this humidity will let mold grow, which is a health hazard. Also, when you have a crack, some pests will come into your home or basement, installing there and living maybe forever, all this can be prevented with a good gutter system so, don’t take on the risk.
Your sidings need some care as well. Without gutters water will splash on your windows (window blinds with the highest ratings online in AU) and wall sidings and this will make them look ugly and unkempt, but as usual it is not just a matter of aesthetics, it is also a matter of security and saving money in the long run. If your sidings start to rot, like for example if they are made of wood, some holes will start to appear and this is an open invitation to pests to come to your home and make a home for themselves. Also, if there is a lot of water in the sidings and finally a crack or hole is formed, some water will be allowed inside your home and this is a very expensive repair to make.