Gutters can almost seem to do more harm than good. They bend, collect gunk, and sometimes overflow. But believe it or not, your gutters protect your home from incredibly expensive damages. That is if they work properly.
While your roof's built-in slope wicks away moisture deposited from humidity or rainfall, your gutters are designed to take this moisture and disperse it to the right places. That's because water shouldn't be allowed to collect directly around your foundation. When this happens, the soil under your home's foundation can shift. When a concrete slab sits on uneven ground, it can shift, crack, or break, affecting everything above it.
Hence, the gutters are designed to deposit water from the roof a safe distance away from the foundation, or even directly into flower beds and gardens.
Of course, if your gutters are overflowing, then they aren't much help at all. This post lists the most common reasons why this may be happening.
They're Clogged
Think of gutters like exposed pipes. They need to be kept clear to carry moisture and debris from one location to another. But if large debris clogs them up, they'll stop carrying moisture, and can even back up and overflow. Leaves, sticks, and other plant debris are the most common causes of gutter clogs.
Unfortunately, there's no quick solution to this problem. Even seamless gutters can collect occasional debris. You just have to keep your gutters clean or hire a roofing company to clean your gutters regularly, if you don't feel you'll keep up with it.
They're Underprepared
Your gutters should be able to handle torrential rains without overflowing. If your gutters overflow, even after light rain showers, then you should upgrade to rain gutters, which are designed to take in and remove high volumes of fast-moving water efficiently.
Rain gutters are often pricier products, but almost nothing is pricier than having to repair your home's roof or foundation, so don't hesitate to invest in this important upgrade.
They're Poorly Designed
If your gutters weren't designed correctly, then they may overflow. Some common signs of poor gutter design include a lack of gutters on all sides of your home, gutters only on one story, a poor design scheme that leaves gaps, and too few downspouts. Poorly designed gutters won't be able to handle the amount of moisture they receive. Or, there will be too much distance between the gutters on the roof's edge and the downspout. Too few downspouts won't be able to eject water quickly enough.
You can ask a roofer to investigate your gutter system. They should be able to tell fairly quickly if they were made cheaply and designed poorly. This is unfortunately common in new tract homes, which are often built too quickly with more attention to visuals than quality.
Do you want to know how to fix your overflowing gutters? Simply call a roofing expert near you, like Findlay Roofing. They can visit your home, evaluate your gutters, clean out clogs, and better design them to handle even heavy rains. Making this important investment today can save you thousands of dollars tomorrow, so don't hesitate to call.
