Some Fun Facts on Gutters and Their Greater Importance
It is easy to overlook the job your gutters put in. Yet you might not be aware of how a plain metal channel on the roofline can be the difference for your home’s well being. And one has to wonder, when was the occasion you last put some thought into them?
Most homeowners would say it has been a while. Ribas Roofing and Services is here for that. As an Atascadero family firm we have been of service to the Central Coast and San Luis Obispo County from 2007 to the present day. Put us on the phone at (805) 549-4460 if the subject is roofing, gutters or anything in between.
Let us turn our attention to an underappreciated part of the house for a moment.
You Would Be Hard Pressed to Find a Newer Invention Than Gutters
They are hardly a thing of modern times. For millennia folks have been putting in place some form of drainage to shield their buildings from the rain. The ancients were doing it and the concept has endured because it is sound; water requires a path and a gutter provides one.
The fact that mankind has put its trust in gutters for so long speaks to the importance of what they do.
A Rainstorm Will Move More Water Than You Expect
Homeowners are often taken aback by this: a fair sized rain can put hundreds of gallons over your roof. Left to its own devices, that water will come down hard on your foundation.
Which is precisely why gutters are of more consequence than is generally understood. They do more than see you stay dry on the way to the front door. An operational system is there to protect:
- The base of your home from pooling water
- Exterior paint and siding against the rot and staining of runoff
- Your basement or crawl space, kept drier with proper diversion
- Landscaping that erosion would otherwise take
- Fascia boards and roof edges that are prone to damage from backed up water
- Driveways and walkways that can be made to crack and shift with enough exposure
All too often a homeowner does not give his gutters a second look until there is a leak or a sagging piece of gutter or a stain on the ceiling to indicate trouble was brewing.
Clogging Is the Usual Suspect
A fun fact of sorts. You will not find bad weather or a defect in manufacture to be the source of most gutter woes. Clogging is. It is the accumulation of shingle grit, dirt, twigs and leaves that puts a stop to the flow.
Water then makes its way over the side of the downspout and into places it should not be. A good cleaning will remedy that but if the gutters are ill installed or old and damaged, you cannot clean away the problem.
Roof and Gutter Are a Partnership
Not everyone makes the connection. When water is unable to drain it will back up along the edge of the roof and under the shingles. The moisture is bound to do damage to the roof in time.
We see gutters as integral to the whole of the roofing equation. Our inspection of a roof is also an examination of where the water goes once it has run off. Failing gutters on an otherwise sound roof is no solution at all.
Central Coast Homeowners Have Good Reason to Put Their Faith in Ribas Roofing
Daniel Ribas has been in construction since 1995 and he is hands on with our day to day operations. That experience is put to work on every job we do for the Five Cities, Avila, Santa Margarita, Templeton, Los Osos, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.
We are the sole local outfit to service Lowe’s roofing contracts in the area and we are GAF Certified. We apply the same standards to skylights, repairs, replacement and inspections as we would at our own homes.
There is no charge for an estimate either.
So make a point to show some appreciation for your gutters the next time the rain comes in. Then call on us. The team at Ribas Roofing and Services can be of assistance with an inspection, a repair or some advice on cleaning. We are at (805) 549-4460, let us put the water where it should be.