In our line of work the most common question we hear is “do I even need rain gutters on my home?”
The answer to this question is “yes.”
The following factors should be taken into consideration:
1) Existing Water Diversion / Stream Formation
If water from your roof naturally collects into a couple streams, it’s possible to manage that runoff with water diverters or ground features that keep your foundation safe. That is, if you live in a very dry climate where it seldom rains. If you live in an area where there are regular “heavy rains”, you roof is not capable of diverting the amount of rainwater you receive far enough from your foundation to make it effective.
2) Roof Overhang
We’d suggest that a minimum roof overhang of 6 feet is necessary if you’re considering going without gutters. Remember, the purpose of gutters is to divert water away from the foundation of your home.
3) Ground Slope
Houses are typically built in a manner that gives them some degree of slope intended to divert water away from the foundation. However, on its own this is generally not sufficient to divert enough water to make rain gutters necessary. Assess the natural water flow around your house – if pools of water form near the house, rain gutters are needed.
4) Ground apron and drainage
A concrete or gravel apron can be an effective means of diverting water from the house’s foundation into a drainage system (natural or manmade) however this option is far less practical and more costly that installing gutters on your home.
5) Average Rainfall
A huge factor in whether or not gutters are necessary for obvious reasons. If you live in Southern California, you are definitely toward the lower end of the spectrum where rainfall could be manageable if all of the other factors are also in your favor. However, most regions of the United States receive enough rainfall that gutters are a must.
To sum up, all of the above factors need to be lined up clearly in your favor if you’re considering whether going gutterless is an option. Certainly, none of these on their own are sufficient to make gutters unnecessary.
If you are looking for an expert to answer your questions about gutters, Gutter Boyz of Kentucky is here to help. After all, gutters are all we do! Give us a call today at (270) 906-3055 or CLICK HERE to contact us.