When looking at a house in a top to bottom approach, it’s not unfair to compare it to the human body. Each system needs to work and to work well to avoid cascading damage elsewhere. Stop caring about one system and soon you’ll have damage in seemingly disconnected places.
Because both a body and house don’t have disconnected places. It is in this vein you can see how problems with rain gutters affect such disparate parts as the foundation, heating bill, and health of residents.
Take a look at these five signs that danger is lurking in your gutters.
Rain Gutter Dangers
The following dangers come from damage to gutters, clogged gutters, and improper gutters.
If your overall drainage system is poorly thought out and underwhelming for the climate you live in, addressing gutters will only help so much. If you have serious ground flooding issues, consider hiring a residential roofing company to inspect your home and find solutions.
1. Roof Damage
The first rain gutter issue is with damage to the roof itself. A clogged or broken gutter no longer transports water off the roof and to the ground. Instead, it pushes that water into the awnings and fixtures aroudn the roof.
These places are not often water-resistant and easily become waterlogged.
2. Sidewalk and Driveway Shifts
Looking below, when gutters don’t transport water far enough off the house or when they overflow, that water hits the areas aroudn the house.
Shifts and cracks in the sidewalk and driveway indicate that water is pooling under the masonry and not absorbing into the water table.
Tile walkways may buckle or individual pieces come out. Driveways develop cracks and holes that require serious repairs.
3. Human Health
It’s common for a house to feel more humid in the summer and a bit dryer in the winter as HVAC systems do their thing.
If the inside of the house feels moist all the time, that’s an issue. An accumulation of moisture, even if it isn’t accompanied by molds and mildew can set off asthma.
If the people in the house are struggling to breathe and generating more mucus than not, it isn’t colds it’s excess house moisture.
4. Landscape Erosion
Overflowing gutters spill water close to the house. Houses have foundations and roofs specifically to keep the elements out.
A ton of dirt on your roof would cause quite a problem so it’s no surprise a tone of water aroudn the foundation does the same.
Repairs to the foundation are expensive and cracks and breaks expose the house to pests.
5. Paint and Siding Damage
Paint and siding are rated to withstand different levels of moisture and heat. This is one reason that some areas prefer different types of home finishes.
If the gutters aren’t cutting it, water flowing both at and down the walls will start to peel the paint prematurely. Siding bulges as water infiltrates behind, or unduly weathers and rusts forming holes that are unsightly and loud in windstorms.
Stay Alert
Check the areas listed above for damage after a rain or snowstorm to see if your rain gutters need review. Replacing and repairing gutters costs a lot less than the damage that they cause.
For more tips and information like this, give us another read!
