Gutters may seem like a small part of any home, but don’t underestimate the role they play. We’ve seen a lot of rain this summer and there’s only more to come, but with proper gutters, your home can stay safe. When it rains, your home’s gutters help direct rain off of the roof and away from your foundation, and if your gutters are damaged, sagging, or clogged, it could see some serious damage.
If You Didn’t Have Gutters
If your home didn’t have a gutter system, you’d find water dripping over the edges of your roof, which could weather your siding and pool up in the areas where your foundation is low. If this happens, the water will start to wear away at your foundation as well as your siding.
During larger storms, water would spill over the edges of your roof and soak the ground right next to your home. Since that area would experience water from the falling rain plus all the water from your roof, it would become a weaker surrounding area for your foundation and could cause the structure to crack.
Gutters also help protect outdoor hardscapes, like decks or patios, from wearing down under a lot of moisture and losing their aesthetic luster. Many homeowners plant landscaping features like bushes or shrubs near their homes and gutters also help protect those as well.
If Your Gutters Are Damaged or Clogged
While not having gutters is a problem, having damaged or clogged gutters is also a problem. If your gutters are rusted, they could be leaking; if they’re sagging or pulling away from your home, they could be failing to carry water away properly; and if they’re clogged with ice, leaves, sticks, or other debris, there’s nowhere for your roof water to escape.
When water sits in your gutters or overflows back onto your roof, it can soak into your home and damage your home’s structure. It can also provide a breeding ground for mold and mildew, which can not only weaken wood, but affect the health of you and your family members as well.
What to Know About Gutter Installation
When it comes to gutters, you can’t just install any size. You need to measure the length of your roof, the square footage of your roof, know the average rainfall in your area, and know your zoning laws. These factors will determine how wide your gutters need to be. You’ll also need to know how far away from your foundation the downspouts need to be.
We recommend leaving all of this to the experts at P.J. Fitzpatrick. We’ve been providing quality Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland gutter installations for years, and want to help you protect your home. Give us a call or fill out our contact form to get started.
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