How Rain Gutters Can Save Your Foundation

Although it’s annoying to clear the leaves out of your rain gutters in the fall and winter, they serve a very under appreciated value toward your home, and more importantly, the foundation it rests upon. Here are a few ways your gutters can help save the day.

Why Are Rain Gutters Important?

The placement of gutters around the sides of your roof allow for a form of water management, where the water runs-off the roof and is diverted away from your home through the gutter. This diversion of water saves your home from having water damage and foundation repair in the future. Without rain gutters, the water will flow off of your roof and fall into the soil your foundation rests upon, which can do a lot of unseen damage.

Potential Damages

Without rain gutters, a number of damages can occur to your home, ranging from water residue on the side of your walls to pockets of mold or even foundation destruction.

Mold

Without the depositing of water into a spot farther from your home, water has the ability to get in between the crevices in the siding and collect mold over time. Mold is difficult to remove and can eventually be toxic if left to grow unattended.

House Siding

When water continually runs down the siding that protects the exterior of your home, the siding is slowly broken down and ruins the appearance of your home. When the water is unable to settle into the ground, and instead settles between the siding, it can lead to staining, warping of the wood, the growth of mold and eventually the rotting of the material.

Flooding

If your home has a basement floor and no rain gutters, one heavy rain storm can allow the water to rush in and flood the house. Flooding in any part of the house can be expensive, with the potential costs to repair and replace warped floorboards and walls within the rooms affected.

Erosion

Water that has no diversion via gutters falls straight into the ground beneath your roof. Over time, the water run-off will create lines in the soil around your home, causing it to slowly erode. If the erosion continues unchecked, the soil will slowly expose your foundation to even more damage later on.

Foundation Damage

When rain erodes away the soil next to your foundation, it gives the water the ability to seep into the pores of the foundation and cause micro-cracks to form over time. As the seasons change, this water can freeze and cause these micro-cracks to turn into expensive problems to fix later on.

A damaged foundation can also lead to flooding or cause the strength of your foundation to falter. The weaker a foundation, the more problems can occur to your home.

What Can I Do If I Don’t Have Rain Gutters?

If you don’t have rain gutters and are worried about the potential damages listed above occurring, getting a foundation inspection is the first thing to do. Professionals can assess the life and strength of your foundation and make any repairs they deem necessary to extend the life of your foundation even more.

If you believe your foundation might be in need of an inspection, contact Baird Foundation Repair for a free inspection to ease your mind.