Eavestroughs 101
Many homeowners find eavestroughs to be a big hassle and wonder if they are worth it. After all, it’s no secret that cleaning them out is a tedious and messy task. Not having to maintain eavestroughs may seem like a dream come true, but they help protect many valuable parts of your home by directing rainwater away from them. They prevent moisture from seeping into your roof, direct water away from your basement, protect your home’s foundation and prevent soil erosion. Without gutters, you risk substantially damaging these important parts of your home.
What Happens if You Don’t Have Eavestroughs?
Unless you live in a desert climate, eavestroughs play a critical role in protecting your house and your investment from damage. Not having eavestroughs will only cost you money, headaches, and issues in the long run because they protect many important parts of a house. In short, sorry, you need them.
ROOF
Eavestroughs are beneficial to your home from the top down. Having them placed on the edge of the roof is key as they stop water and moisture from soaking into the roof. Not all roof damage is evident immediately and often by the time it shows itself, the damage is already done and your roof will need to be replaced. Replacing such a structure like the can be expensive, especially compared to the cost of eavestroughing which could have easily prevented it.
FLOODING
Straightforward, yes? Having a flooded basement is more than inconvenient; it requires money and a lot of effort to get it properly drained and cleaned. Eavestroughs reroute rainwater so that it does not find a way into your home through windows or other entrance points.
FOUNDATION
If a home does not have an eavestrough, the water will simply run down the exterior of the walls pool on the ground or foundation. This can erode, weaken, or rust many materials. The effect is amplified in climates that experience seasonal extremes as water freeze and melts throughout the year and buildings are not immune to these effects.
This means the foundation is exposed to significantly more moisture and water than it would have been otherwise. This can cause big problems. The foundation might crack or begin to rot depending on the material. Needless to say, this is not good news for your pocketbook. Cracks in the foundation compromise the structural integrity of the home and it can become unsafe to live in without being fixed, an expensive endeavour.
YOUR PROPERTY
This brings us to the next point on the list: erosion. Eavestroughs control the flow of water so that heavy rains don’t lead to the demise of carefully tended gardens or newly planted grass seeds. They also help preserve other yard and property features. This includes driveways, which is something a lot of people don’t take into consideration. Indeed, they can reduce potholes and cracks in the pavement.
In short, eavestroughs are critical to the long-term preservation of your home. If you don’t want water damage to your roof, basement, foundation or even your garden, you need to route water away from these critical areas.
In addition, it is important to keep your eavestroughs clean . If they are not, material will build up in the gutter channel and water will overflow onto the building and foundation, causing a number of nasty side effects including – mould, mildew, roof replacement, cracked foundations, insect invasion or a drowning landscape. In short, unmaintained eavestroughs are just as problematic as nonexistent ones.
Source: Homeservice Club of Canada