Weather affects our homes in serious, sometimes destructive ways. Gutters can help protect your most important investment.
Water has a profound effect on a home’s stability. If water is not correctly corralled and guided away from the foundation, it can weave its way into cracks and crevices and eventually penetrate the slab, or foundation, of your home. This is why guttering should be important to you, and why this is one home feature that shouldn’t be overlooked when outside home repairs are needed.
Only a fraction of Americans live in arid states like Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas, where traditional gutters aren’t as necessary due to weather conditions, but don’t be fooled; guttering alternatives still exist in even the driest of places.
Gutters prevent a lot of issues from forming in and around the house, beginning with the overall structural integrity of our homes. They prevent water problems in basements and crawl spaces by rerouting hundreds of gallons away from the foundation. By extension, this protects exterior walls from staining, rotting, or premature weathering.
They also protect flora around our homes. Routing excess down and away from your yard prevents water from saturating soil, breaking down much needed nutrients for plants and trees. Too much water can, in fact, kill plants, grass, and shrubs.
Finally, gutters driveways, sidewalks, and concrete slabs. Excessive water in these areas can cause them to sink and crack, which causes you even more money in the long run.
Just like numerous other parts of your home, your gutter system will need some maintenance. And whether you do it yourself, or hire a licensed contractor, you should always lay out a solid plan of action. Here are a few tips to get you started:
The point is of guttering is comes down to the serviceability, and subsequent stability, of your home. By installing and routinely servicing your guttering, you’ll be less likely to have other problems with your home in the future.