Why are gutters important on a house?
Short answer. Gutters collect the large volume of water a roof sheds and move it away from the house, protecting the foundation, crawlspace or basement, siding, windows, doors, walkways and landscaping. On Georgia's red clay, which drains slowly, roof water dumped at the foundation tends to pool there, so gutters do much of the work of keeping the lower house dry.
How much water we are talking about
An inch of rain falling on 1,000 square feet of roof is about 620 gallons of water. A typical 2,000 square foot roof in a one-inch storm sheds roughly 1,250 gallons, and North Georgia thunderstorms can drop that in an hour. Without gutters, all of it lands in a line along the walls.
What gutters protect
- Foundation and basement. Saturated soil against foundation walls pushes water toward cracks and joints and is a common cause of wet basements.
- Crawlspaces. Many Georgia homes sit on crawlspaces. Water pooling around them raises humidity underneath, which feeds mold, wood rot and the moisture-loving termites common in the state.
- Siding and trim. Water hitting the ground splashes red clay onto siding and keeps the bottom courses, sills and door frames wet.
- Entries and walkways. Roof water pouring over steps and doors is a nuisance and a slip hazard, and it rots thresholds.
- Landscaping. Concentrated runoff digs trenches in beds and washes out mulch and soil.
Why clay makes it worse
Clay soils take water in slowly. Instead of soaking away, roof runoff sits at the foundation or runs along it. Downspouts with extensions or buried lines carry water to where the ground can handle it.
Make the system finish the job
Gutters only help if the downspouts discharge well away from the walls. Check that extensions are in place after mowing and that buried lines actually flow. See gutter sizing, seamless gutters and guards and the Georgia roof maintenance checklist.