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One of the most damaging elements to your home is water. Water that
pours from your roof and stands around the foundation can quickly
impact its condition.
Storm after storm, thousands of gallons of water annually pound the
daylights out of your roof. The shingles may shed water like a duck,
but if the water isn't diverted from the house, it will ravage the
paint, bring on mildew and rot, eat away at mortar, and send a
screaming invitation to a host of insects. This is where gutters
become a critical part of the plan to protect your investment.
Gutters are installed on the eaves of a house to collect rain and
melting snow from the roof and direct it away from the house and
towards downspouts that then direct the water away from the siding and
foundation. Gutters can be made of galvanized metal, aluminum, or
vinyl, and even wood. Galvanized metal must be painted periodically,
aluminum and vinyl gutters require little maintenance, and wood
gutters are used less and less for obvious reasons.
When gutters are installed, they must slat toward their outlets. The
water must head to an elbow and then through a leader which connects
to another elbow and then travels down the straight arm of the
downspout and then curves around yet another elbow to push the water
away from the wall through a downspout outlet.
Gutters cannot just dump water on the ground. This water will wear
away the foundation or your house or quickly find its way into the
basement. If an inch of rain falls on a 2000 square foot roof, about
1200 gallons of water would run off the roof causing substantial and
on-going damage to your home, if not properly diverted.
Once soil is excavated for a house to be built, that soil becomes
porous and absorbs water like a sponge. This area of backfill can be
anywhere from four to ten feet, so it's important to direct the water
from the roof away from foundation and the backfill area. Most
splash-blocks extend about two feet, not nearly wide enough to divert
a heavy rainfall. An alternative is to bury a four-inch PVC pipe in
the yard and re-route the water from the downspout to a ditch, storm
sewer, or lower area where virgin soil can absorb some water and let
the rest run off. Another option is Underground Downspout Extensions
(U-D-E) that involves a buried PVC pipe that extends to a bubbler pot
which is a small plastic drywell that's covered with a green grate
level with the lawn. This is a good alternative when there's no low
point on the property and no place to divert water from the roof.
You'll want to check and clean your gutters twice a year. Late Spring
after the trees have bloomed is a good time for the first semi-annual
inspection. Late in the Fall is the second time your gutters should
have a good look and cleaning. If you have a lawn service, check to
see if gutters are part of the service. If not, check the phone book
under Gutters And Downspouts for a cleaning service.
Gutter screens are now available to divert everything but water from
the gutters. If you have gutter screens, you only need to hose them
off every year or two.
Copyright 2004
PropertySource Network |
