What Do Gutters Do?

Gutters are more than a decorative feature to a home or building, their main purpose is to protect your home or property’s exterior siding and foundation from water damage due to rain. Gutters are installed under the edge of your roof to collect water and then connect to a vertical downspout to redirect the water to an area away from the property’s perimeter. You must properly maintain your gutters by periodically cleaning them, as they can get clogged with debris like leaves, sticks and even animals. The best option with the least maintenance is to have gutter guards placed on your gutters to keep debris from settling into your gutters or downspouts. 

Why Should You Care?

• Structural damage to your foundation is the number one cause for concern when water pools around the perimeter of your home or building. Because concrete is a porous material, it can become saturated quickly by standing water due to rain or poor landscaping drainage. This saturation causes the concrete to become weak over time and prone to cracking or breaking.

• Erosion is another concern because rainwater can wash away the supporting soil around your foundation, causing your foundation to settle due to a lack of dirt. If you live in the Greater Jackson area, you know about Yazoo Clay. Yazoo Clay is an expansive soil that has a high degree of shifting, wreaking havoc on foundations. Additional standing water around a foundation’s supporting soil only complicates matters worse and should not be ignored.