Why gutters?

[Frogleg]

Recent tree problems resulted in a mashed gutter, and I'm wondering exactly what they're supposed to be for anyhow. All the ones I can see in the neighborhood have a downspout angling *in* from the roofline, and then pointing *out* at the bottom, but still allowing water to exit closer to the foundation than dripping off the roof would, even with a basic little concrete 'shoe.' If there're no problems with water in basement/crawlspace, what's the purpose of guttering? Other than collecting leaves.

[mark Ransley]

The gutter conspiracy , by the gutter lobyists, same as the hot water heater conspiracy.

[mark Ransley]

You dont know what gutters are for. Did you figure out what that round thing on your bathroom floor is what they call a toilet.

[Chief]

I think his toilet is called a "bidet"

[Buck Turgidson]

How do you know you won't have water problems without your gutters? I would think that you would over time. As a member of the gutter conspiracy, I am sworn to secrecy, but our standard response that they indoctrinate us to say is that directing water away from the house is the primary reason. Protecting your shrubs, lawn, patio, etc from cascading water is another.

[Phisherman]

They are supposed to carry water away from the foundation. This reduces foundation problems, mud splashing against the house, and discourages insects. I have seen gravel pits around the perimeters of homes instead of gutters. In drier climates, gutters are not needed.

[jim]

i have gutter on my home.. but i built a garage/shed/workshop in the back yard to the same height of the house and it does not have gutters on it and there is an indentation in the ground all around the building: its the water coming off at full speed in that area when it rains.. if you have no gutters you will soon have this on your property...... and i remember reading in some code books that gutters were required on some buildings.. dont know if it applies to all buildings or not, but it could just be the larger office buildings.. in town in the old area where gutters are missing or defective the water comes down like it was coming out of a fire hose... dont want to be under it when the water is coming down....

[MaxAluminum]

I forget the name of it, but they make a roof product that disperses the water that runs down the roof into more of a spray so gutters are not supposed to be needed. If you have sufficient overhang, slope and drainage, there are conditions where not having a gutter is better. Most homes don't meet these conditions.

[me]

The whole problem is that houses are not built right. Houses should never be build over 5 feet wide. If you build your home 5 feet wide, and 200 feet long, you'd still have a 1000 sq. ft. home, equivalant to a 25 x 40 foot home. The difference is that rain water on the roof would be dissipated much better, because it would be spread over a much larger area. If you want a 2500 sq. ft. home, just build it longer, which in this case would be 500 feet long X 5 feet wide. We need to reconsider the way we build our homes to eliminate those leaf catching gutters.

[Michael Baugh]

[George E. Cawthon]

[Frogleg]

Ahh. The answer I was looking for. As I thought I explained enough to forestall rude answers, I didn't/don't see how channeling water flow somewhat closer to the foundation than the roof overhang was particularly beneficial. One post *did* mention a dripline digging a mini-trench, but as my close-to-eave plantings are large plants/shrubs which break up the flow about 4' above the soil, this doesn't seem to be a problem.

I also have fake shutters. *Everyone* here has fake shutters. I've often wondered about that, too. Seems as if real, sturdy, closable shutters would be quite popular in a hurricane-prone area. But no.

So I conclude that, for the most part, both guttering and shutters are to houses what the tie is to a busines suit. Required for respectability, but often of little practical use.

[Jeff Cochran]

Gutters control the path of water. If you don't need that path controlled, then you don't need gutters. It really is that simple.

Jeff

[Edwin Pawlowski]

That's pretty much it. It keeps the drips off your head. Some roofs have a diverter on the roof to keep it away from the door so you don't get dripped on while fumbling with your keys. Another reason is to keep from getting a trench caused by erosion around the perimeter in line with the roof edge. Ed

[Frogleg]

Thanks, Jeff & Ed. Since I don't have a drip-line problem, I guess I can put off repair as a 'cosmetic' project the next time I have any money. :-)