Rain gutters tend to be invisible work horses of your home. They perform an important function, directing rain water away from your home, but most of the time you don’t even realize that they are there. Not all homes need a gutter system. Gutter systems may not be needed in an arid climates and areas not subject to periods of heavy rains. The rest of us need a good system to collect the storm water that lands on our roofs and directs the collected water away from the house. We need such a system in order to help reduce water and moisture damage to our homes. The wetter the climate the more we need a properly functioning gutter system. Water that collects next to the foundation of a house will tend to find its way into some part of the structure and that can cause water and moisture damage.

Water damage

Water damage is easier to see. We can usually see roof leaks and wet basements. The damage that an occur is the result of liquid water soaking into materials that must be kept dry. For example: wood, drywall and plaster, flooring and furniture. Some types of water damage can be reversible, for example some wood materials can be dried out and restored. Other types of water damage result in irreversible conditions. For example, most drywall surfaces loose their integrity when soaked in water and may become infested with potentially dangerous fungal organisms.

Moisture Damage

Moisture Damage can be much harder to see and often starts in hidden portions of a structure. Moisture damage is usually occurs warm and moisture saturated air comes in contact with a cold surface and condenses on that cold surface. Moisture in air disperses like any gas and can penetrate most surfaces. Moisture laden air will penetrate walls and ceilings unless the drywall surfaces in a home are treated with a vapor barrier paint system or backed by a vapor barrier surface. This means that the moisture around a foundation may find its way into the home, saturate the heated air and find its way into all parts of the structure – even the roofing material.

One of the best ways to prevents water and moisture damage is by installing and maintaining a good gutter system.

Why Are Rain Gutters So Important?

Besides protecting the roof and the overall structure of your home, rain gutters also prevent soil erosion and protects your garden beds. With the rain gutters, the rain will just flow off your roof, washing away soil each time it rains causing soil erosion. And if you have garden beds built next to your home, the soil erosion will cause puddling of water to drown your plants and flowers.

But that’s why we have slanted roofs!

Just because a roof is slanted doesn’t mean ALL the water falls off. If you don’t control where the water falls below, you can get massive puddles where you might not want them, or pooling and that can cause very expensive damage. The cost of installing and maintaining gutters is practically nothing compared to new drywall, a new roof, a new garden, a flooded basement or foundation repairs.