Although gutters and downspouts are a seemingly simple system, they have a pretty important job in protecting your home.
Gutters and downspouts are on your home for a reason. Their job is to manage the water that runs off of your home’s roof. Proper attention and maintenance will go a long way toward protecting the structural integrity of your home’s foundation, not to mention keeping your basement dry.
Gutter system clogged with leaves
How much water can flow off of a roof?
Have you ever watched the water run off the edge of your roof? It may not look like much when spread over the perimeter of your home. One of the “factoids” our home inspectors share with our clients is that 1 inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of surface area is nearly 625 gallons of water. Let’s just say you have 1,500 square feet of roof and we have a 2-inch rainfall; that’s a whopping 1,875 gallons of water dumping next to your foundation!
Without gutters, the water running off of your roof pounds directly onto and erodes the soil next to your foundation. Dumping all of that water next to your foundation increases the risk of a wet or damp basement. In addition, saturated soils will expand more as the ground freezes in the winter, which can cause heaving or displacement of your foundation.
The gutters and downspouts on your home are there to safely manage and control the runoff away from your home. Proper water management protects your home and yard by controlling the flow of water and preventing pooling and erosion next to your foundation.
Clogged gutters full of water
Gutters and downspouts need periodic maintenance.
Like most home systems, your gutters and downspouts need periodic maintenance. Clogged gutters and downspouts are as bad as not having them in the first place. Our home inspectors frequently call out maintenance issues with the gutters and downspouts. We see gutters full of leaves and sticks, which clog the system and allow water to flow over the edge. Water also weighs about 8 pounds per gallon, so if your gutters are full of water, you risk damage to your system due to the weight. It’s also important that the discharge chutes at the bottom of your downspouts are directing the water away from your foundation. Our home inspectors frequently find discharge chutes that are crushed or disconnected.
Water pooling next to the foundation due to a missing discharge section
Your gutters and downspouts should be cleaned at least twice a year. The best times are in the spring and then in the fall, after the trees have shed their leaves. Gutters that are full of debris in the winter can result in ice buildup and ice dams forming at the edge of your roof.
Clogged and frozen gutters detached from the edge of the roof
If you have the skills and can do it safely, you can maintain your gutters and downspouts yourself. You can also hire a professional gutter cleaning company to do it. The third option is to have a system installed that will prevent debris from entering and clogging your gutters and downspouts. These can either be installed on an existing system or purchased as a complete system. Click here to see a comparison of gutter guard systems.
Summary
Your gutters and downspouts are an important part of your home. Keeping them maintained and properly functioning will manage water and protect your foundation and landscaping.
When performing a home inspection, one of the items we look at are the gutters and downspouts on the home. Taking note of the condition of the gutter and downspout system will give your home inspector clues as to water management and whether or not there may be issues with moisture in the basement.
At HomePro Inspections, our home inspectors are trained to inspect all areas of the home. Having properly installed and maintained gutters and downspouts will help to protect your home from excessive water at your foundation. Any issues found are documented in your home inspection report and recommended for resolution by a qualified professional.
Visit our website to learn more or to schedule your home inspection in the Rochester, Owatonna, and Faribault, MN areas. You can contact us today at (507) 202-8942 or utilize our online “Schedule Now” feature to set up an appointment.