San Antonio storm gutters form a very important part of a building. Basically, storm gutters are not just a cosmetic addition. They protect your property’s value in ways that you might have never thought about. Storm gutters are the installations that run around the roof perimeter. They can be made of copper, aluminum, steel, vinyl, or wood.
The purpose of gutters is to collect rainwater from the building’s roof and drain it to the pipes known as downspouts. Downspouts channel this water down to the ground where they connect to the downspout extensions that drain it away from the building. Downspouts are usually attached to the gutters at the corners of a building although this is not always the case. Storm gutters serve numerous purposes including the following:
Foundation Protection
One important purpose of having storm gutters installed on a building is to ensure proper protection of the foundation. Without properly functioning gutters, runoff from your roof won’t be channeled away properly. This implies that this water will fall close to the building’s foundation.
When rainwater collects close to the foundation, it saturates the soil that surrounds your building. Soil will expand after absorbing water. This expansion will exert pressure on the foundation concrete. Continued pressure will lead to moving of the foundation block. Once the foundation moves, your building won’t be stable and this can be a safety issue.
Basement Leaks
Rainwater can also lead to leaking of the basement when foundation blocks concrete becomes eroded. This happens even when rainwater stagnates around a building. If there is rainwater pooling around your building’s foundation, you’re facing trouble. That’s because once this water finds a small crack in your building’s foundation, it will seep inside. Once inside, it will lead to mold growth and flooding of the basement.
Erosion
Without properly functioning gutters, run-off from the roof will pummel the surrounding ground and cause loosening and moving of the soil. This erosion will damage your landscaping. Trees and plants around your building will be waterlogged. Eventually, they will die leading to loss of curb appeal. Soil erosion can also lead to depressions formation around your building. This will lead to pooling of water in the future which can lead to further erosion.
Roof Protection
Having gutters alone is not enough. Your gutters should be functioning properly. When gutters and downspouts are clogged, they can’t drain rainwater away properly. This leads to backing up of rainwater to the roof. When rainwater accumulates in the roof, it can end up in the attics where it will cause more damage.
At MT Gutters, we know the importance of properly functioning gutters. Call us now to schedule your San Antonio storm gutters installation!
