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How Gutters Protect Your Basement and Foundation
Ben Munger • June 17, 2021
How Your Gutters Protect Your Basement and Foundation
A home’s foundation and gutter share the same function – keeping the house dry even though they are distinctively different. The gutters are meant to direct rainwater from the roofing system to the ground safely and away from the house. The foundation is a barrier that stands between the ground (earth, soil) and your house’s interior keeping out the wetness and moisture.
The two will work together to ensure your home dry and free from moisture. But what is the definitive role each component plays, and how do they combine to become a unified force in safeguarding your house from getting wet?
The Gutters’ Role In Keeping Your Home Dry
Gutters are an essential part of any complete roofing system. They are meant to help ensure the building is dry and free of moisture. A structurally sound gutter system will safely carry away stormwater and meltwater from the roof, directing it to the downspouts and away from the house’s foundation.
With the gutters helping direct the falling water from the roof safety to the ground and away from the building, your foundation and attic space will stay free of wetness and moisture.
A Foundation’s Role In Keeping Your Home Dry
The foundation is a solid structure separating the home’s interior from the ground or soil, and setting it up starts with excavating the earth to create room for laying the foundation, which will lay atop the earth. It will be a barrier between the building and the ground.
Since the soil shrinking slowly, shriveling depending on prevailing conditions hence the need for the foundation to be roughly eight inches thick to withstand the changes and keep out the moisture in the soil.
How Do Gutters & Foundations Work Together?
Gutters will ensure meltwater and stormwater from the roof safely drain down to the ground without collecting around the foundation leading to water damage in the basement or the foundation. A foundation that is less frequently wet is not likely to have leaks. Such problems are attributed to overflowing gutters.
The clogging causes the water to spill over the gutters to the ground, collecting around the foundation. If the ground surrounding the foundation does not have a gradient that slopes away from the walls and foundation, the water will sip through, tweaking the foundation and walls and causing leaks and water damages.
A foundation is roughly eight inches thick has footers (cement blocks of about 16X8”). The home’s floor is constructed on top of it, or it can serve as the basement with the ground floor set up on top of it. Footer drains are placed at the house’s exterior to catch or block falling water when gutters are clogged, and the water spills over. If the gutters are not cleaned, your building foundation and walls abound to develop water-related damage.
How To Ensure Gutters And Foundation Are Working Properly?
It is a question that we at American Gutter often get from our clients. But answering this requires us to inspect your home, checking the gutters and foundation to determine if they are working correctly - independently and interdependently. We provide free initial inspections if you believe you have a leaking foundation or clogged gutters.
At American Gutter, we are professionals that strive to offer lasting solutions. That is why we highly recommend our seamless gutters that are fully integrated, having a robust gutter guard design, and will protect your house from debris like leaves and twigs that cause your gutter system to clog up and start to overflow. While the traditional gutters systems do work, they are prone to becoming clogged, and this increases the risk of your home’s foundation, fascia, and driveway developing water damages.
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