Rain gutters are more important than you think. Although they can add a nice decorative element to your home, their main purpose is to prevent mold and other water damage. Gutters keep your home in place by directing rainwater away from your siding and base. Rain gutters are the most controversial type of gutters.
They are usually not required by law on a pitched roof, and many modern homes omit them, even in cases where they are beneficial. To decide for yourself whether rain gutters are necessary for your home, it's best to weigh the facts first. Houses built according to the code are located on a slight slope to guide runoff away from the foundation. If rain comes out of your roof because it has no gutters, the water causes massive erosion, dragging more and more land every time it rains.
This causes the carefully sloped landscape to wear out, allowing runoff to flow into your home rather than away from it. The aluminum foil used to make LeafGuard gutters is thicker than the aluminum used in traditional gutters, and trained installers secure the gutter with internal suspension brackets for added stability. If you decide to install your gutter system professionally, one of your options will be seamless gutters that prevent any leakage through the seams. Rainwater trapped in a clogged gutter or downspout has nowhere to go except for the edge of the gutter, rendering your gutter system virtually useless.
If you get a lot of flooding in your basement and you have rotted siding in your house, this could also be a sign that you have no gutters and that you should or have clogged or damaged gutters. DIY rain gutter systems are available in vinyl, sheet metal and aluminum at any of your local home improvement centers, so you can install the gutters yourself. Roll formed from aluminum sheets, the LeafGuard gutter hood arches over the top of the gutter, directing runoff from the roof into the gutter while blocking debris from entering the air. If you want the gutters to be a particular color, aluminum gutters are your best option because they can come in more than 25 different colors.
Legitimate reasons for skipping gutters have been given above, and a good roofer will point them out when he tells you not to replace or add gutters. Either you have to climb the ladder and do it yourself or you need to hire a professional gutter cleaning company to do it for you. If a home has existed without gutters for a long time and has never been damaged, the homeowner might assume that the home simply does not need gutters. The general rule of thumb is to clean gutters at least twice a year, but more so if you have a lot of trees hanging over your home or if you live in an area that experiences a lot of storms.
Although gutters are generally necessary or highly recommended, there are some situations where gutters are optional.
Leave a Comment