Exactly how to you decide whether or not to recommend adding gutters to a house? In this case, the roof needs to be replaced, so that's not a limiting factor here.

THANKS.

Gutters should be installed if the overhang is fairly short, you are seeing erosion of soil where the water runs off the house. Your siding is close to the soil on the outside or your having moisture issues in your basement.

I think gutters are always a good idea, but they must be installed properly. The outer edge of the gutter should be below the slope of the roof projected outward over the gutter. The steeper the roof, the´smaller that dimension should be. A 4 on 12 roof should be an inch below. A 12 on 12 roof should be a quarter-inch lower. Slopes in between should be proportionally lower. The gutters should have positive slope toward the downspouts, and the downspouts should discharge 6 to 10 feet away from the house, onto ground that slopes away from the house.

quote:

Originally posted by The Home Care Club LLC:
Gutters should be installed if ... siding is close to the soil on the outside...

Thank you! Can you please explain what you mean by "siding is close to the soil?"

Also, if there is no basement (but there is a dirt crawl space with moisture barrier under part of the house), does that make a difference?

Thanks again,
Anita

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Hetzel:
I think gutters are always a good idea...

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that if people are not going to clean their gutters, then gutters do more harm than good. (Of course, I clean mine, but I know many people don't--and end up with leaks in their house from water freezing in the gutters and pushing up toward the peak of the roof.)

Thanks for the great information.

Anita

Well, then whose problem is it? And if it isn't yours, why worry? There are several proprietary gutter cover systems which will allow the flow of water into the gutter but keep most leaves out. One highly acclaimed system uses brushes in the gutter to accomplish the same thing. But a house with gutters is not subject to erosion and splashing of mud at the foundation, and all that water should not be allowed that close to the foundation in any case.

If you've ever stood in the rain with water pouring off the roof onto your shoulders while you search for the key to get in, you'll understand one of the other benefits of gutters.

Your siding should be at least 8" above the grade of soil on the outside of the home. This helps prevent any spashing of soil against the siding. Other reasons for this is to prevent insect activity. Although will not stop them the higher the siding is away from the soil the easier it is to detect a problem.

I agree with Richard on having the gutters. Crawl space, basement or even a slab. The amount of water that runs off the roof during a rain storm is quite a lot. Getting it away from the house as far as possible is always a good idea. If you had the house treated for insects such as termites the excessive water flow against the foundation will only break down the treatment faster. Additional water can cause foundation settlement and cracks.
Depending on where in the country you live will depend on what type of gutter guard you would want to purchse. If you have a lot of pine needles the brush type of guard will only plug up. There are many types of guards for gutters available. Some are like the scrubbing pad you use in the sink, others are simply plastic covers that snap in place.

I frequently see major basement and crawl space water problems, some of them caused by “minor” defects in gutters, downspouts and grading and drainage. See the link below for a discussion of a property where all of these factors contributed to water problems:
gutter problems and basement and crawl space water problems - Paragon Inspections Chicago/Evanston

Thank you, Michael. That's a great link.