It was recently asked of me, as a home inspector, what issue or problem is most commonly found when inspecting a home. The first thing that came to mind is dirty and or clogged gutters. What causes it? Keep reading to find out.
The falling leaves, brush from tall trees, birds, and even the shingles on your roof, all contribute to filling your gutters quickly. Clogged gutters can be serious problem to your house. The biggest reason for clogged gutters is lack of maintenance to rain gutter systems. Proper maintenance to your gutter systems can prevent major problems for your home due to the accumulated debris. Leaking and/or clogged gutters may cause mold inside the house, cracked foundation, and can rot wood, as I will explain below.
Clogged rain gutters can cause rainwater to remain on the roof for a long time. This pooling water can rot the wood supporting the roof and the walls. The rotting wood will cause water to leak into the house, causing further damage and possible loss of property. Cold freezing weather can make it even worse. Think about it, your gutters are already full of water; this is very heavy, now it freezes and then it snows. Yes, it stops leaking when it freezes, but once it starts to thaw, you will have even more damage. Repairs to the roof and walls is expensive, no matter how you look at it.
In addition to rotting wood and walls, leaking rainwater due to unmaintained gutter system can cause mold to form inside and outside of the house. Mold can quickly spread and large portions of the house interior may need to be repaired. Mold is a health hazard and can require specialty environmental cleanup services for removal to ensure the health of the residents. On the outside of the house, the leaking rainwater can cause the siding to bow and become moldy. This may require the replacement of a large portion of siding. Siding can be difficult to match and costly to replace.
The gutters are designed to move water away from your house foundation. When rain water from the roof cannot drain properly from your gutters, it falls off the roof and pools around the foundation of the house. This pooling water begins to degrade your foundation materials which can lead to cracks in your foundation. The cracks can then result in water leaking into your home. Repairing damage to your foundation can be very costly. I might add that clogged gutters and down spouts can and will most likely lead to clogged drain tile. A clogged drain tile can lead to a very wet basement or crawl space. Believe me, I’ve seen it.
All of these problems with your home can be avoided with proper maintenance to your gutter systems. Cracked foundation, a mold colony or a leaky roof can cause serious problems to your house and be very expensive & time consuming to fix.
A qualified home inspector from A Buyer’s Choice can consult with you on any gutter issues you may have and make recommendations for improvement or ongoing maintenance.
Sylvain “Slinky” Girard
Owner/Inspector- A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections
License 55977 West Vancouver-Sea to Sky-Sunshine Coast
604-938-2115
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