You may not give much thought to your home's gutters and downspouts on a regular basis; you may not even notice them until they start to fall away from the home or begin to leak. However, keeping those gutters and downspouts in good repair is very important for your home's overall condition, and it is also important for protecting your property and the property of your neighbours. Note how gutters and downspouts protect your home and lawn and surrounding properties.
Preventing water damage to the home
Never assume that your lawn will just absorb any rainfall that spills over the tops of the gutters, as this water can easily run down the side of the home and cause severe damage. Constant exposure to running water can soften brick and cause it to crumble, and this rainwater will easily make its way through any small dents and dings in aluminium siding, eventually causing mould and mildew growth on the home's framework. Water collecting around the foundation, even if it's not pooled above the soil, will put pressure on the foundation and also soften it. Leaks may form and the home may settle and shift on that weakened area, causing cracks in floors, ceilings and walls.
Preventing water damage to the property
Again, don't assume that your lawn will just absorb rainwater; this running water can easily lead to trenches along the soil, which can weaken the soil and cause small sinkholes to form. Running rainwater water can also make its way into and through a neighbour's property, creating ditches and low-lying paths as it does.
Not only can running water itself damage lawns, gardens and vegetation, but this water can be bringing with it salt from a nearby driveway or walkway, which is also harmful to lawns. It might also wash weed killer and other chemicals into nearby lawns, flowers and vegetable gardens.
Watering flowers and lawns
While rainwater spilling over outdated gutters is bad for your property, you can use your home's downspouts as a way to actually nourish your lawn and flowers. A professional landscaper can create underground trenches from the end of the downspouts to a nearby garden, or will have these trenches zigzag around the lawn; this directs the rainwater to spots where it will actually benefit your property, watering your flowerbeds and gardens every time it rains. This can also keep the lawn hydrated but without the rainwater pooling in one particular area or running off to a neighbour's property.
Share21 April 2017
Hi and welcome to my blog. My name is Jules, and several years ago, I bought an old house. As it needed so many repairs, we learned to compromise and prioritise our goals. That included the roof. Although the house needed a roof, we spent a few years working on other elements of the house, and during that time, we repaired and patched parts of the roof or added shingles as needed. Finally, we were able to replace the entire thing. I learned a lot through the process and wanted to create a blog about it. If you are interested in anything to do with roofs, please check out my posts.
