Are Gutters Really Necessary?
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Though many houses have gutters, it can be tough to tell what role they play in maintaining your home’s exterior. You may even find yourself wondering if gutters are necessary. A gutter system directs water away from your home, helping prevent mold, mildew, dangerous water buildup and other water damage around your home’s foundation over time.
Our team has conducted in-depth research to understand the ins and outs of rain gutter systems and determine the best gutter guard companies. This guide explains what makes gutters necessary and how you can optimize your home’s gutter system for maximum safety and stability.
How Gutters Work
Gutters hang off your roof and catch rainwater as it streams down the surface. Your gutter system then channels that water toward the edges of your roof and into vertical sectionals called downspouts. Downspouts direct water away from the home into a storage receptacle (such as a tank or barrel), into an irrigation system, or onto a plastic tray (called a splash block) that disperses it on your lawn.
When Are Gutters Necessary?
Gutters are not required by law in most states, nor are they required in the majority of building codes. However, gutters are an important part of your home’s drainage system. Gutters direct water away from the home, protecting essential structures from water damage, erosion, mold, and other expensive problems.
Gutters provide protection to the following parts of your home:
- Foundation: Without a gutter system, water will pool around the base of your home. Over time, this soil saturation can cause serious problems such as shifting, cracks, erosion, and flooding in your basement or crawl space.
- Lawn: When water pools around your home, it affects more than just the foundation. The soil itself can become badly damaged. Pooling water can lead to increased pest activity (such as mosquitoes, lawn grubs, and termites), root rot, dead grass, mold growth, and soil erosion.
- Walls: Gutters prevent water from pouring down your walls. This system keeps your siding, internal walls, window and door frames, and utility entry points free of flowing water.
While most homes will benefit from gutters, some require them more than others. For example, homeowners in regions with frequent rainfall, such as the Pacific Northwest, should invest in gutters. Homes that experience downpours would also benefit from wider gutters to handle the increased rainfall. Here are some situations in which gutters are essential to keep your home in working order:
- Upward slopes: You’ll want a gutter system if your home sits at the bottom of a hill or other upward slope. Without one, rainwater from these slopes could build up around your home’s foundation rather than moving away from it.
- Clay-rich soil: You should invest in rain gutters if your home is near a lot of clay-rich soil. Clay-rich soil absorbs, disperses, and drains water more slowly. Because of this, soils with high concentrations of clay can be prone to standing water or heavy saturation issues. Gutters help prevent this by dispersing water more evenly throughout your lawn or draining it into a tank or underground basin.
- Basement foundation: Without gutters, water can enter your home and cause basement flooding. This could be especially bad if you have a finished basement, as there could be water damage to your belongings that could be easily avoided with a simple gutter installation.
- Little to no overhang: If your roof’s overhang fits close to your home’s siding, frequent rain will cause trenches to form where the water builds up. Often, that rainwater remains close to the foundation once it’s absorbed into the ground, causing severe and costly damage over time. Without gutters, you may also experience water damage to your siding.
When Are Gutters Optional?
Though gutters are usually required or highly encouraged, there are some situations in which gutters are optional. We’ve listed them below.
- Climate: A dry, arid climate means less rainwater and puddling. Therefore, homes in regions with a drier climate do not require gutters as much as homes in wetter climates.
- Downward slopes: If your home sits on top of a hill, you may have to worry less about gutters. Water is more likely to naturally move away from your home if your landscaping and property feature a lot of downward slopes that point away from your home.
- Long overhang: If your home’s overhang is between six to 10 inches long, you may be able to avoid installing a gutter system depending on other factors, such as landscaping and your local climate.
Gutter Problems and Solutions
Though gutters help you prevent significant homeowner headaches and problems, they can also create a few problems. However, these can easily be avoided and addressed. Read over the most common gutter problems and their solutions below.
- Clogging: Because gutters feature large openings, debris like leaves, twigs, pine needles, shingle grit, and pollen can build up over time. Birds and other animals can also build nests inside your gutters. These issues cause water clogs and water damage. However, you can combat this problem with routine cleaning and maintenance or investing in a gutter guard system.
- Ice dams: Many people believe gutters cause ice dams, but this is actually because of your roof and attic. When the snow melts and gets into the eaves of a sloped roof, it can freeze there. This results in an ice dam, or a buildup of ice. Because gutters are next to your eaves, it appears that your gutters are causing the ice dam. Like clogs, routine maintenance of your attic’s ventilation and insulation helps you avoid this issue. Gutter guards with heating elements can also help you combat ice dams.
How To Improve Gutters
You can improve your gutters by adding additional structures or installing new gutters made from higher-quality materials. Additional structures can include the following:
- Drainage systems such as French drains, rain chains, and underground water storage tanks
- Gutter guard system
- Irrigation hookups
- Rain collection systems
- Splash blocks
If you want to improve your gutter system by upgrading its materials, you must remove your old gutters and install new ones. The installation cost for your new system will depend on the material you choose and the total linear feet of guttering you need.
Vinyl and aluminum are the most common materials, which can cost between $1,700 and $2,400 for materials and labor. Higher-end materials, such as steel or copper, can range from $2,800 to $9,400.
Cost data in this section was sourced from Gutter Supply, The Home Depot, and HomeAdvisor.
How To Maintain Gutters
Maintaining gutters can be difficult, dirty, and dangerous. Clean your gutters twice per year at the end of spring and fall, and do general upkeep once per year.
Gutter maintenance requires numerous tools, such as gloves, a ladder, a gutter scoop, an electric drill, and a stabilizer. You need to be experienced and comfortable working on ladders or roofs. If you don’t have the right tools or skills, we recommend hiring a professional gutter company.
Our Recommendation
Gutters are necessary in most cases. However, if you want to know whether or not your new construction or home improvement project requires gutters, consider the property’s landscaping features, the climate, the overhang, and the foundation type. If you find that you do need gutters, we recommend that you get at least three quotes from three gutter installers to compare pricing and offerings.
We also encourage you to consider investing in a gutter guard system. Gutter guards block debris from entering your gutters and push it out. Then, you can rake up the fallen debris or knock off standing debris with a broom. We have listed some of our top gutter guard recommendations below.
LeafFilter
LeafFilter offers a comprehensive professional installation process for gutter and guard protection systems. First, the company cleans and prepares your gutters for its stainless steel micro-mesh gutter guard. Then, it installs hidden structural hangers to your fascia board and adds a frame across your gutters to create a platform for its gutter guard to lay on.
LeafFilter’s innovative three-piece system maximizes stability so that your gutters stay protected for years to come. Micro-mesh gutter guards are also the most efficient type of gutter guard on the market. Their mesh is fine enough that it can keep out small debris such as pine needles, shingle grit, and seed pods. Thanks to its sturdy uPVC frame, it can also withstand impacts from large debris.
Key Features
- Stainless steel micro-mesh screen
- Heavy-duty uPVC frame material
- Metal hanger material
- Customizable sizes
- Corrosion-resistant
- Lifetime transferable warranty
- A+ Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating
Call for a Free Quote: 855-530-4025
Read More: LeafFilter Review
LeafGuard
LeafGuard offers homeowners a one-step gutter solution. Professionals remove the existing gutter system and install brand-new gutters and downspouts with built-in gutter protection. The reverse-curve gutter cover uses surface tension to funnel rainwater into the gutter while debris slides onto the ground.
LeafGuard advertises that its downspouts are 30% wider than the industry standard, increasing water capacity to help prevent clogs. Further, the LeafGuard system comes in a dozen colors to match your home’s exterior. The paint finish is resistant to wear and damage and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Key Features
- Reverse-curve design
- Full gutter replacement
- High-quality aluminum frame
- Twelve color options
- Lifetime finish warranty
- Financing available
- A+ BBB rating
Read More: LeafGuard Review
FAQ About Gutters
Do gutters increase home value?
Yes, gutters increase your home’s value if the job is done right. A new gutter and gutter guard system adds to your home’s value because it increases the functionality of your home. Additionally, if the gutter or gutter guard system includes a lifetime warranty that’s transferable to new owners, you can increase your home’s sale price.
What is the life expectancy of gutters?
The lifespan of gutters depends on the type of gutter. The most common types, galvanized steel and aluminum gutters, feature an average lifespan of 20 years. More high-end options, like copper gutters, can last up to 50 years.
Can I replace gutters without replacing my roof?
Yes, you can replace gutters without replacing your roof. Gutters are often attached to your fascia board and hang beneath your roof shingles. Therefore, they are easy to remove and replace without touching your roof.
Are gutters worth the cost?
Yes, gutters are worth the cost. While gutters can be pricey, the damage that can be caused in their absence is much more expensive. Severe damage caused by a lack of gutters, such as foundation shifting, can cost thousands of dollars to repair.
What happens if you don't have gutters?
A lack of gutters can lead to serious problems for your walls, roof, lawn, and foundation. Gutters direct water away from these essential structures, protecting them and saving you from costly repairs. Without gutters, these structures will be subjected to erosion, water saturation, mold, and other issues over time.
How often should I clean my gutters?
Gutter cleaning should be done at least twice per year. However, you’ll only need to clean them once a year if you have gutter guards in place. Gutter cleaning can be done DIY. If you’re uncomfortable on ladders, you can hire a gutter cleaning company.
Our Rating Methodology
The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our gutter guard recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each gutter guard product and provider. We conduct research by reviewing product specifications and provider website information, speaking with customer representatives, and analyzing customer reviews. We then score each provider against our review standards for gutter guard design, customer support, the quote process, services, and reviews to arrive at a final score on a 5-point rating scale.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
