Is it better to have rain gutters or not?

Rain gutters are more important than you think. Although they can add a beautiful decorative element to your home, their main purpose is to prevent mold and other water damage. Gutters keep your house in place by keeping rainwater away from the siding and foundation. Gutters are necessary in most cases.

However, if you want to know whether or not your new construction or home improvement project requires gutters, consider the property's landscape features, climate, cantilever, and foundation type. If you find that you need gutters, we recommend that you get at least three quotes from three gutter installers to compare prices and offers.

Rain gutters

are the most controversial type of gutter. They are generally not required by law on a sloped roof, and many modern homes omit them, even where they are beneficial.

To decide for yourself if rain gutters are necessary for your home, it's best to first weigh the facts. Some homes with particular qualities do not need gutters. A house without a basement or a house with excellent landscape drainage may not even need gutters. Rain can fall from the roof of the entire house and slip off the walls, thanks to gravity.

Homes built according to the code are located on a slight slope to keep runoff away from the foundations. If rain falls from the roof because there are no gutters, the water causes massive erosion, dragging more and more dirt away every time it rains. This causes the carefully sloped landscape to wear away, allowing runoff to flow into your home instead of away from it. Gutters weren't always as common as they are now.

In fact, they weren't commonly installed in residential homes until the middle of the 20th century. If your house was built a while ago, say between 75 and 100 years, it's possible that they simply weren't installed because that's not what the builders were doing. If your basement flooded once, you might consider it a fluke. But if your basement floods more than once, even a little, it probably needs gutters.

Rain gutters can reduce the flow of water entering your home and, therefore, reduce the chance of mold forming. If you want the gutters to be of a particular color, the aluminum ones are your best option, since they can come in more than 25 different colors. Since you now know the benefits of having rain gutters for your home, you should consider making the investment. Although gutters are usually mandatory or are highly recommended, there are some situations where gutters are optional.

If you decide to install your gutter system professionally, one of your options will be seamless gutters that prevent any leakage through the joints. It's a good idea to replace gutters when they no longer expel rain from the house in a clean and efficient manner. In addition, if the gutter or gutter protection system includes a lifetime warranty that is transferable to new owners, it can increase the selling price of your home. While these locations may receive some heavy rains a year, it's not enough to ensure the installation and maintenance required by gutter systems.

The legitimate reasons for omitting gutters have been mentioned above, and a good roofer will point them out when they tell you not to replace or add gutters. In addition to protecting the roof and the overall structure of your home, rain gutters also prevent soil erosion and protect your garden beds. Rain gutters can control the amount of water that enters the garden, which is best for lawns, plants and vegetation. If the basement is heavily flooded and you have rotten coating in your house, this could also be a sign that you don't have gutters and that you should or have gutters that are clogged or damaged.

Stop allowing uncontrolled water currents to damage your home and take the step to install rain gutters. .

George Moore
George Moore

Friendly contractor and home improvement specialist. Subtly charming coffee geek. General beeraholic. Certified tv nerd. Unapologetic travel specialist.