Gutters and downspouts usually don’t get much attention when we think of home exterior renovation. Some thought may be a good idea. A properly working and maintained gutter system is one of the most important aspects of the exterior of your home. Homeowners tend to put a gutter replacement on the bottom of the list of importance. In reality, it should be close to the top of the list, and many times the first priority.
Water can cause havoc to a house, particularly around the foundation. Topsoil helps protect your home’s foundation. Water that isn’t properly funneled away from the foundation can cause weakened conditions in the soil. This can eventually increase the likelihood of cracking or other types of damage to your foundation. Once this occurs, a host of problems can follow. The most obvious and costly would be interior leaks into your basement. This will also bring about a greater chance for the growth of mold in your basement or crawlspace.
Another area that gutters can help preserve is the siding on your home. Any painted areas as well will be negatively affected by excess amounts of water not property routed. Brick and Stone will eventually stain when in constant contact with water. Pools of ground water can be breeding grounds for insects and mosquitos in particular.
Gutters should look to be cleaned out twice a year, especially if you’re in an area with a large amount of trees. A mistake often made with gutters is thinking that a cleaning isn’t necessary due to the absence of trees in the area. Most residential roofs consist of asphalt shingles, and over time, asphalt will slowly break away from the shingle. It will make its way into the gutter and cause problems.
Replacing gutters and downspouts is a simple fix for the homeowner, and for any contractor. The jobs normally take less than a day, and the cost is definitely justified based on the issues that can arise if not maintained. A full gutter and downspout replacement on a home will run on average between $1,200 and $2,400. Gutters aren’t the first priority that we think of when trying to “beautify” our house. Although they definitely serve an extremely important purpose for the longevity of your home, and that is the diversion of water.
