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. Erosion also causes the base to settle. The gutters control the water that reaches the roof and direct it to a single flow that moves away from the house.
Without gutters, water runoff may build up around the house, reach the foundation, and cause water damage over time. Gutters cannot effectively ward off water unless they are cleaned frequently, and damaged gutters can cause more damage than not having gutters, since they can cause water to accumulate along the roof. A house without gutters allows water to fall directly from the roof to the foundation. Any small crack or pore in the base can let water enter the basement, causing flooding.
With gutters, water can be effectively directed to a drain and away from your home, preventing more devastating and costly damage to your living space. Many other parts of your Michigan home are affected by poor gutter performance or the complete absence of gutters. The cladding and windows are beaten up by the water that splashes against them or from the splashes of mud and dirt from the landscape. Water could also seep behind the coating.
If you're like many homeowners, you've probably wondered if gutters are necessary. After all, they are prone to clogging, attract nesting birds, can only handle a limited volume of water, and eventually can move away from the roof or lean over. Some roofers even advise against using it. Homes built with proper leveling or on high ground may not need gutters.
However, if your home doesn't have good drainage or leveling, you may need a gutter system to prevent erosion. Over time, the uneven surface extends to the base. You may notice that foundations settle, uneven floors, or cracked walls cost you thousands of dollars in repair costs. Rainwater trapped in a clogged gutter or downspout has nowhere to go except for the edge of the trough, making your gutter system virtually useless.
Before deciding whether to install gutters right away or leave your house as it is for a while, it's first important to understand what gutters are and what they're for. A gutter installation service has the right equipment to evaluate the house model, budget requirements and the safety equipment to install a gutter that will last. 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. Even if they don't place the gutters in the building plan or install them, you can have your builder install gutters.
While it's true that professionally installed gutters create a clean, crisp border around the house's roof line, their main purpose is far from being a mere ornament. If you decide to install your gutter system professionally, one of your options will be seamless gutters, which prevent any leakage through the joints. The aluminum sheet used to make LeafGuard gutters is thicker than the aluminum used in traditional gutters, and trained installers secure the gutter with internal supports to hang them for greater stability. Self-made rain gutter systems are available in vinyl, sheet and aluminum at any of the local home improvement centers, so you can install the gutters yourself.
The general rule is to clean gutters at least twice a year, but more so if you have a lot of trees hanging above your house or if you live in an area that suffers from a lot of storms. If a house has existed without gutters for a long time and has never been damaged, the homeowner might assume that the house simply doesn't need gutters at all. Either you have to climb the ladder and do it yourself, or you need to hire a professional gutter cleaning company to do it for you. It's especially useful if you have small rain gutter outlets because the mouthpiece outlets are designed with a larger opening that allows water to continue to flow even if other parts of the gutter are obstructed.
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