The New Homeowner’s Guide to Gutters

If you’ve recently purchased a home that doesn’t have gutters, you may be thinking that you can get by without investing in a drainage system. After all, rainwater and melted snow runs off your sloped roof and finds the ground eventually. However, doing without gutters and downspouts can be rather short-sighted. Allowing water to accumulate and pool at your home’s foundation can lead to a myriad of problems. Below are just a few things to consider when deciding whether you need gutters:

1. Gutters keep moisture away from your foundation

Without gutters, water that runs off your roof lands at the base of your eaves, usually near your foundation. This can cause a few problems. It can form unattractive trenches and ruts in your landscaping; it can cause water to seep behind your siding, causing the wood behind the siding to rot; and it can cause water to enter your basement, causing mold and mildew to be circulated throughout your living spaces.

2. Gutters keep water away from your attic

Gutters don’t just keep water out of your basement. They also help at the top of your house. Without gutters, some of the water that travels over your eaves is likely to seep behind the boards that protect your attic, allowing moisture to accumulate at the top of your house.

3. Gutters help to prevent insect infestations

Moisture around a home’s foundation creates an ideal breeding place for insects, such as termites and ants. Gutters and downspouts channel that water away from the foundation, making your home less attractive to bugs.

4. Gutters keep water from pouring down on you and your guests

Lastly, without gutters, rainwater and melting snow comes down from the roof right where it falls. That can mean rivers of water cascading down on your head as you’re entering or exiting your home. Gutters divert this water to downspouts at the corners of your house, so you’ll stay dry when you’re opening your front door.

Whether to invest in gutters is a decision that needs to be carefully considered. You don’t want to save a few hundred dollars today, only to spend thousands to repair water damage later.