When we think about a house, we generally look at its overall aesthetics—on how good it looks outside and inside. But oftentimes, we miss a detail that would secure its durability regardless of the weather over the years. The roof is basically one of the house’s most important parts that ensure our safety from outdoor elements whether it rains or shines. But have you ever thought about what makes a roof durable?
Yes, the materials used to build a roof would best describe how long it will last. However, many homeowners don\’t or maybe miss giving attention to the roof gutters and downspouts. These two actually play a vital role in ensuring the roof serves its purpose of keeping our home dry and warm inside, especially during rainy days and the winter season.
On the other hand, these two don\’t just have to be watched over during specific times. It actually should be well maintained regularly. Because of many people’s lack of attention, gutters and downspouts become clogged which may eventually become the cause of bigger problems on your roofing.
In this blog, we will share with you the reasons why gutters and downspouts are necessary for houses and the purposes of each to keep our roofing to last long.
Gutters Are Necessary Because…
To make the answer simple and concise, the gutters are placed to the leading edge of the roof. Its main purpose is to ensure that when it rains, the water from the sky that drops straight off to the edge of the roof will be collected and guided well to flow down (via downspouts) to the ground far enough from the house’s foundation.
Without the gutters, the water will directly splash to the foundation of the house which may indirectly affect the ground’s ability to support the foundation which can lead to a foundation undermining. This may result in many serious problems to your house such as cracking of walls and inability of the foundation to absorb all the water making it stagnant and taking a long time to dry.
In reality, foundation damage repair is extremely expensive by all means! Unlike other house repairs, it literally requires your time and energy to pay attention because disregarding the repair will just eventually going to make the problem bigger or even cause other problems to occur. This is the reason why gutters are necessary to be installed on the roof.
Downspouts Are Also Necessary Because…
Downspouts are generally part of the gutters. Although they are separate parts or materials by definition, both of them work together to ensure the water sliding off to the edge of the roof will be guided to the ground or drainage instead of the house’s foundation.
It can protect your basement from flooding during a heavy rainstorm. And it also ensures that the water is not stagnant in the gutters. Thus, with a systematic gutters and downspouts installation, you can wisely use downspouts extension to ensure that the water flowing won’t just splatter everywhere in the ground, it can go to a specific direction or area which avoids molds from accumulating.
But please be advised that both gutters and downspouts are prone to be clogged which is why proper maintenance of them, even if it\’s not the rainy season, is highly recommended.
Clogged gutters and downspouts can be avoided with these simple steps:
Install Gutter Covers
Downspouts will be clogged if gutters are not well protected. And to keep them from having unwanted debris and sort of that block the way of the water, you can start off by installing a gutter cover. It is most commonly known as a gutter guard. It mainly covers and protects the part of the gutters that are prone to outdoor elements that cause the blockage such as debris, leaves, etc.
Keep An Eye On The Surroundings
If your house is surrounded by big trees, you need to watch out for the leaves, branches, and pine needles growing around your house. It is highly possible that these might cause blockage on both the gutters and downspouts. Ensure that they are trimmed or cut off when necessary, especially when there\’s bad weather as it might not just simply cause clogging but may damage the gutters and downspouts.
Proper Maintenance
Self-inspections can be done for your gutters and downspouts. However, it is best if you schedule a professional to do the work for you. The advantage of it is that a professional can ensure the safety and durability of your gutters and downspouts. Thus, they can give you a comprehensive report, recommendations, and solutions if it needs to be replaced or repaired which helps you to save money than just guessing when and how to replace the gutters and downspouts properly.
GFR’s Great Deal!
The Grace Family Roofing Company is currently offering a free gutter and spouting up to 200 feet (altogether) when you avail of our roofing services for $5,000 and sign a contract with us. The great deal about it is that you’ll be saving a good amount of money. To know more about this exciting offer, you may contact us today by calling +1 717-942-5074 or by filling out our contact form.
About The Grace Family Roofing Company
With years of proven work experience, The Grace Family Roofing Company offers great value in the roofing repairs and installations services we provide to their customers. As we believe that Grace Family Roofing is a family-operated business that values honesty and integrity and stands behind good work. We build long-term relationships with their clients and guarantee satisfaction as we don’t just install and repair roofing but also promote safety in every home.
