The Consequences of Improperly Pitched GuttersRain causes a very large volume of water to pour down on a roof. The roof is the first line of defense for protecting the interior of a structure from this rain. Many roofs have a pitch that the water can sheet off of and also prevents heavy collections of rainwater gathering in pockets on the surface of the roof. If water pooling does happen the roof can become damaged and broken resulting in the water getting underneath the roofing material and into the structure. This causes numerous problems that are very costly to repair. A damaged roof can allow rain water to run down inside the roof and subsequently continue to pour down the wall of the house passing over window frames, windows, door frames, doors and possibly onto the damp proofing at the bottom of the house. This water stands in puddles and takes a long time to dry. This water could cause significant damage to the structure of your house by rotting away wooden window and door frames. This standing water can also cause cracks in paving and concrete. During the colder months this damage does not take long to manifest itself and can cause other major problems. What do gutter downspouts do to prevent this from happening? First, the gutter system and downspouts are put there to prevent this from occurring. They collect the rainwater once it has reached the end of its descent down the roof. From there the slight pitch in the gutter system will direct the rain water into the downspout and down into the drain and safely away from the structure and foundation. But be sure that the gutters are pitched correctly to avoid other potential pitfalls. Improperly pitched gutters that are angled away from the wall with even a slight gap is like having no gutter whatsoever. Another outcome may be that improperly pitched gutters cause all the rain water to collect in one area, this rainwater is then likely to overfill the gutter channel and run down one part of the wall. The power of this concentrated volume of water can erode the brickwork and the cement work causing serious structural damage and internal damp and rot. These incidents will be more costly to repair than having the drainpipe fixed or even having the improperly pitched gutters completely ripped down and replaced. It is simple to tell whether a gutter is pitched properly by watching the flow of water when it rains. The flow of water should be unimpeded from the high point on the gutter system down to the downspout. The bottom line is that a gutter system will save you thousands of dollars in structural damage. Simply put, rain gutters and downspouts are a simple way to channel rainwater off of a roof and away from the structure. Gutters and downspouts protect the structure from damage because it won’t stand up to water constantly running down the sides of the house, the fascia boards, siding, foundation, and surrounding landscaping. If the water is not channeled away from the structure it continues to compromise the structure as well as the foundation. Structures with poorly engineered gutters and downspouts or without them at all, will have rainwater collect and pool underneath the roof. This eventually weakens the foundation, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage. Today, gutters and downspouts have many different designs than they did just 20 years ago. Seamless gutters and gutter guards have made installing and maintaining gutter systems much easier than ever before. Aluminum is the best material for rain gutters and seamless gutters can be quickly produced right at your home by gutter machines that make perfect gutters for each application. Another development has been gutter guards. These various types of gutter guards make gutter cleaning a less frequent event and in some cases can eliminate it all together. Gutter guards, filters, gutter helmets, gutter screens, and other gutter protection systems help to eliminate leaves and other debris from clogging gutters and downspouts and causing the need to clean them. Although gutters, downspouts, and gutter protection may not be the first thing that comes to mind when protecting your property, they can save you a lot of money and aggravation over the life of your investment.
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