Purpose Of Gutters And Downspouts

Prevention of landscaping or soil erosion.

Purpose of gutters and downspouts. It s designed to carry water that collects in the gutter safely down the side of the house and away from the foundation. A downspout is simply a hollow tube that runs from your gutter to the ground. The downspout is the piece that is attached to the side of the home and channels runoff to the ground away from your home. Water tends to scatter everywhere if not funneled properly.

This is one of the reasons why you should have gutters installed professionally. Direct tree debris leaves needles twigs to the downspout and block it up. Without them however roof runoff during a heavy rain can dump hundreds of gallons of water right next to the house foundation the leading cause of wet basements. Purpose of gutter downspout system.

One good way to prevent clogs is to fit your gutters with big downspouts either 4 inch round or 3 by 4 inch rectangular. The gutters should not hold standing water should not leak should be securely fastened to the fascias and should have downspouts that are securely fastened to the exterior of the house. Gutters act as a safe pathway for rainwater to flow away from the roof into the downspouts and to the downspout extension. But poorly functioning gutters and downspouts are responsible for exterior damage as well eroding soil and causing moisture problems like peeling paint and rotted siding fascias and soffits.

Bigger downspouts also allow a gutter to handle more runoff without overflowing. Gutter hangers and gutter brackets allow gutters to attach to a house s eaves offering support and strength to the front edge. Downspouts are normally made from the same material as the gutter giving the entire system a uniform look. Collect tree debris that falls on the roof and then washes into the gutters when it rains.

Wet dirt surrounding the foundation can lead to severe structural problems. Without fully functioning gutters and downspouts to control runoff in a safe manner rainwater could cut pathways through your yard as well as your neighbor s creating ditches pooling in low lying areas and even killing lawns flowers and other vegetation. The flexible design easily bends and holds its shape and can be extended from 25 in. In any structure keeping the ground surrounding the foundation as dry as possible is critical.

Gutters while costly and sometimes unattractive serve several important and some not so important functions. Collect water snow and ice morph into frozen ice trays that can cause ice dams. Gutters that safely manage storm water do more than simply protect your house. Finally downspouts should not terminate close to the foundation.

They also preserve your yard and your neighborhood. You ll need drop outlets to connect the gutters to the downspouts.