Here’s Why Your Home Needs Gutters

Does every home have gutters?

You might be surprised to learn that not all of them do. Gutters are one of those tricky areas of the home. They are very easy to overlook and not even notice at all – until something goes wrong.

That’s why, there are people out there who live in homes for years, without even realising that the home doesn’t even have any guttering.

Today, we want to talk to you all about gutters – which is no surprise given the line of work we’re in. More specifically, we want to talk about why some homes and buildings might not have gutters and why they should have a guttering system.

So, if you’re ready to take the plunge into the guttering, you know what to do.

Why wouldn’t a home or building have gutters?

There are lots of reasons why a home or building might not have a guttering system. We think that it generally comes down to 3 factors, which are:

Age of the home

Did you know that gutters have been around for a very, very long time – we’re talking BC times. Though they were very different back then, there was a recognised need for water management and drainage.

While gutters have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years, age is still one of the factors behind a home or building not having gutters. Gutters were often overlooked as such an important feature of a home, and in some instances, due to wars and shortages of materials, some buildings were unable to have gutters installed at the time of building.

Climate or Weather Conditions

Another common reason a home may not have gutters is because of the weather conditions of its location. There are places in the world that have incredibly low rainfall levels, and they just don’t have the need for gutters. Hard to imagine, but it is true.

They Might have had them once before

The final common reason we often see for people not having a guttering system in their home is that they have degraded and/or fallen off over time and have not been replaced. While this is something that we certainly advise against, it’s definitely not uncommon, because like we said earlier, gutters are unfortunately so overlooked.

So, now that we’ve talked about why a home might not have gutters, let’s talk about why they should.

Why a home needs a guttering system

So, unless your home is in a place where it never rains, it is advisable to have a guttering system that includes downpipes.

Your roof and gutters are a team, and when one of the teammates goes down it can affect the other.

Some of the reasons your home should have gutters include:

Keeps your home’s structural integrity and foundation intact

Your home’s foundation and structure can withstand a lot; however, excessive water can lead to damage. Without a guttering system, you run the risk of water pooling around your home and not draining away.

If the water is left to pool, it can eventually seep into the foundation of your home, which can cause severe internal damage to your interior walls, wiring, paint, and even flooding. If your home happens to have underground storage or a basement, these areas could be subject to flooding.

Helps to prevent damage to your landscaping and property around your home

If you pride yourself on your garden and landscaping, without a proper guttering system, in the next big downpour, you can probably say goodbye to all of your hard work. If the water has nowhere to drain from your roof, it will head straight down to the ground, which can lead to erosion of dirt and planters and a whole lot of mess.

Aids in keeping pests away

It’s no secret that the most annoying pests love moisture. And if you have water pooling around your home, you’re basically sending them an invitation to hang out there. Mosquitoes and rats are particularly fond of wet conditions, both of which are notorious disease carriers.

Protects the occupants of your home

The whole point of having a roof on your home is to protect it, and your family, right? So, why wouldn’t you want to up this protection and make sure your roof is working the best it possibly can by adding a complementary guttering system? If its excessively raining and you’re trying to leave the home, imagine how much fun that is if you don’t have a guttering system – not very!

Here are the signs your home needs a new guttering system

Whether your home already has gutters or doesn’t, there are some clear signs that it’s time to update, upgrade or install new gutters.

Here’s how you know it’s time to get some new gutters installed:

Flooding

If your home doesn’t have gutters and has had some flooding after rainfall, it is certainly worth considering getting gutters installed, particularly if the rainfall was not very heavy. If your home has a guttering system and it flooded, if the rain wasn’t particularly excessive, it is possibly worth having a guttering specialist check over your gutters. You might not need new gutters, but you might need to have your gutters cleaned or repaired.

Internal wall damage

If there are any signs of water damage on the interior of your home, this is definitely a sign to get some gutters installed or your current ones inspected and potentially replaced. For internal damage to happen to your walls from water, there needs to be a way for the water to be getting into your home, which, if your gutters and roofing system are working properly, shouldn’t be very easy.

Signs of mould, mildew or rotting around the exterior of your home

If you notice mould or rotting around your home, particularly around the eaves or side walls below your gutters, or near the foundation of your home, this can be a sign of a few things. One is of old age, where the materials are reaching the end of their lifespan and should be replaced. The other sign is that water is pooling somewhere near that area, which if you don’t have gutters, can happen very easily, and if you do have gutters, could be a sign of a blockage.

Water pooling

We know we mentioned pooling above, but mould, mildew and rotting can be as a result of pooling or other debris. If you’re noticing actual water pooling or troughs of water around the foundation of your home, or in the landscaping close to your home, it means the water isn’t draining properly, or if you don’t have gutters, it has nowhere to drain. This is a very clear sign that you need to do something about your gutters.

Obvious damage to your gutters

So, if your home does have a guttering system but you notice obvious signs of damage, then it’s probably time to either get them repaired, replaced or brand-new gutters installed. Some of the obvious signs of damage include missing pieces of your guttering system, sagging, holes, rust, and splits. Often these issues start quite small, so by the time you notice any of these issues, the problem is a lot bigger than it would have been if you have your gutters cleaned and inspected regularly.

Work with a guttering specialist

Just like any other We know how easy it can be to overlook your guttering system. When they work, they are unnoticeable, just like a good guttering system should be. But, just like any other home maintenance, your gutters require attention.

Looking after your gutters doesn’t need to be difficult though, you can work with a specialist who makes taking care of your gutters a breeze for you. With regular inspections, cleaning, and maintenance, you can avoid needing to repair, replace or install brand-new gutters.

Though, it’s best to work with someone who can do it all, like us here at Gutterline. We’re Sydney’s gutter experts, offering a variety of guttering services all over the city. We clean, repair, replace, design, maintain and install gutters, and we do it at fair and affordable prices and with craftsmanship that will not be surpassed.

If you need a Sydney gutter expert, then call us today on 02 8377 3373 to organise a free, no obligation quote!