Your House and the Passage of Water
As a homeowner, you understand the importance of making rainwater go where it needs to be rather than pouring over your home to land randomly wherever gravity takes it. Part of your house's practical and functional design assures rain goes to your lawn rather than your foundation, or worse, inside your home. Water has to be directed to avoid mold and immediate damage, and it is the universal solvent and will eventually destroy anything it contacts if not properly channeled.
As a homeowner, you understand the importance of making rainwater go where it needs to be rather than pouring over your home to land randomly wherever gravity takes it. Part of your house's practical and functional design assures rain goes to your lawn rather than your foundation, or worse, inside your home. Water has to be directed to avoid mold and immediate damage, and it is the universal solvent and will eventually destroy anything it contacts if not properly channeled.
Roofing
Your first defense against rainwater is of course your roof. Although your roof has a primary function of practicality, there is no reason it can't also add a visual aesthetic to your home and be ecologically friendly. Asphalt shingles are typical for homes in North America and are available in a number of colors and styles to suit your tastes and compliment the aesthetics held by the rest of your house's design. Cedar shingles hold a traditional look of elegance and class along with superior resistance to weather and water. Modern metal roofing is eco-friendly in the sense of using recycled and recyclable materials while incorporating additional insulation to lower electric usage and power bills.
Gutters
Gutters work under your roof to help direct water to where it needs to go. When water pours directly off your roof, it washes away the soil next to your house which in turn leads to puddles forming along your walls. Those puddles erode the land next to your house and eventually soak through the ground putting a burden on the foundation which it was not designed to allow. Such a burden will eventually cause the foundation to crack and compromise the structural integrity of the house.
Storm Damage Repair
Over time, roofing and gutters fall out of repair beyond what routine maintenance can account for. Immediate storm damage can be fixed with repairs, replacing shingles blown off during a thunderstorm is an example of immediate repairs. Roofing in general is something homeowners pay attention to while ignoring the importance of gutters as part of the roof system. The weight of water, and especially as it freezes during winter to allow more water buildup, causes gutters to sag or fall out of their design position over time. It is important to conduct expedient repairs and routine maintenance to assure your house maintains its structural integrity and value over time.
