4 Ways That Gutters Help in Protecting Your Home

Gutters are essential elements of any home. You might think of them as pipes that are placed on the edges of the roof to collect rain water as it runs off and diverts it to a specific location on the ground and this is accurate. This water control helps in protecting the home in a number of different ways.


1. Wall Protection

Installing gutters on all homes is a great idea, but those homes without an actual eave are the ones that find the most protection. The reason behind this is that water will take the path of least resistance, and that means it will not only run down the exterior walls during rain storms, but it will also trickle down behind the siding where it can do enormous damage.

Regardless of the building materials used, water can penetrate if it is not diverted away from vulnerable openings. Those tiny openings allow water to seep in and during colder weather freeze and expand, which is another danger when gutters are not properly installed.

2. Floods

The National Flood Insurance Program states that the primary cause of flooding in homes is rainfall. When a roof is absent of guttering, that rain can drip and run onto the ground right against the foundation. Sufficient enough accumulation of water that has not been directed away from the foundation typically finds its way into the home. Gutters solve this problem by providing a means for water to be relocated.

3. Erosion Prevention

Water is a principal component in soil erosion which is a natural process. Valuable topsoil is lost from lawns every year because of inadequate or missing gutters. When the soil is lost, landscaping becomes much more difficult and the exterior of homes is not as attractive.

Along with making lawns less appealing, soil is often washed into ponds and wetlands which increases the chances that flooding will occur. By diverting rain water, through the use of gutters, to less vulnerable places such as paved surfaces or French drains home owners are doing their part to redirect water to controlled locations.

4. Money Savings

It is estimated that when a home is flooded by as little as one inch of water it causes about $7,800 in damage. The most often quoted reason home owners install guttering is to save money over time. This simple measure reduces the risk of area floods by keeping sediment out of creeks, ponds and other water retaining areas. It also keeps walls and basements dry, and reduces the expense of home upkeep. It is worth installing gutters because this one action will deliver financial returns for years to come.


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