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Why it is Important to Have Rain Gutters?

   As you may know, having properly installed and maintained rain gutters will allow them to drain rainwater away from your house, which will give you, your family and your home a lot of benefits. Eave trough is a more technical terminology used for rain gutters.

  You already know that rain gutters provide homeowners with a wide array of benefits. The most relevant benefit is protecting your property from costly water damage repairs. It does not matter if you choose regular or custom rain gutters, the important matter here is that you need to have rain gutters supporting your drainage system on draining away the rainwater to prevent future headaches that could damage your roof, floors, furniture, foundation, and more.

   During a rainstorm, a lot of water can run down your siding. Chipped or pealed paintwork, damp walls and disheveled doors and windows are just some of the consequences of excess rainwater freely flowing down your walls. Damp walls should be taken seriously as they can develop mold infestations that may pose a health risk for all people and pets occupying a property. Damp walls made of wood can also rot over time, putting the property's structural integrity at risk.

   After installing rain gutters, it is important to know that, as a homeowner, you cannot overlook their maintenance. Why? Because it could lead to problems, such as clogged or overflow gutters, leaking pipes, and so much more. Remember your drainage system will need rain gutters to work properly; which is why you need downspouts and downspout extensions. A properly working drainage system is essential to avoiding moisture and corrosion in your home.

   As you may already know, rainwater accumulates on your house's roof and runs down into your gutters, which collect the water and drain it away from your home's foundation. Downspouts help gutters do this. They are channels or pipes that are connected to gutters and installed along the sides of your house to redirect rainwater and safely lead it to a drainage area. Downspout extensions, on the other hand, help downspouts redirect or drain water to a specific place, preferably away from your home's foundation.
   Downspouts can protect your basement from flooding during a rainstorm. They also can prevent rainwater from accumulating on your rooftop, which may keep you from spending a lot of money to fix structural damages to your house. In other words, you will avoid future headaches. The structural integrity of your home is always of the utmost importance.

   Having quality downspouts is as vital as having a well-maintained gutter system. If you live in a rainy climate, they can play a critical role in protecting your home. Downspout extensions allow rainwater to drain in a controlled manner instead of having water splashing everywhere and getting into places where it can cause problems and do damage like mold and mildew growth. Rainwater can damage soffit and fascia boards, causing landscape erosion, basement flooding, and even structural damage.  Homeowners frequently overlook their downspouts, and that is how they can start to cause water-related structural damage to your home.

   When they are not properly positioned, they can cause damage, including overflowing gutters. The same thing can happen if you install downspout extensions too close to your house. Over time, water can gradually get into places it shouldn't. If these problems are not fixed on time, water also can get under your roofline and damage your entire roof.

  Foundation damage happens when excess water fails to redirect away from your property, and permeates through your foundations, weakening the concrete and compromising the structural integrity of your home or commercial property. This is the main reason rain gutters exists: to impede water damage by preventing cascading rainwater from flooding your foundation, seeping in and causing serious damage to your home over time.

 

What benefits can rain gutters give me as an owner?

• Soil will remain stable around the house.

• You will prevent foundation issues.

• Prevent landscaping from damaging.

• Floods in the attic might be prevented, as well.

• Sidewalks, patios, and driveways cracking can be lessened.

• You will prevent mosquitos from have standing water to lay eggs in.

• You will prevent roof rot.

1. Did you know that the first gutters were created by ancient civilizations in 3.000 B.C.? They started to drain water from one location to another using a system that they made out of stone, brick, and wood. Furthermore, the first drainage systems to drain water away from streets were used by the Romans! Awesome, right?
2. Did you know that gargoyles were used on buildings to act as rain gutters? These gargoyles would direct rain water away from the important areas of the building. Isn't that brilliant? Wood, lead, and clay replaced the gargoyle gutters in the 1200s.
3. Nowadays, rain gutters are produced in a range of materials, such as plastic, steel, copper, and aluminum. Moreover, every homeowner can choose two shapes of gutters: K-Style Gutters or Half-round gutters. Also, they can add types of rain chain like link and cup chains. Homeowners can even add downspouts to the gutters.
4. Did you know standing water in your rain gutters is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests? That's why you should have your rain gutters regularly cleaned to prevent pests near your home.
5. Did you know earthworms are often found in rain gutters? No one can explain for sure how they get into rain gutters all the way from the ground. 
6. Did you know gutter cleaning professionals find thousands of children's toys inside rain gutters every year with no explanation whatsoever of how they got up there?
7. Did you know rain gutters were once installed on vehicles to prevent rain from falling on drivers' heads when they exited the car? Located on the roof, the rain gutters dramatically changed the profile of the car, affecting air flow. Therefore, rain gutters were phased out in the 1980s to enhance aerodynamics – but no one seemed to notice.

Paula Fields - K. M. Minemier & Associates, LLC

My Favorite Realty Inc.

336-543-8683

PFields2@triad.rr.com