Gutters and Roofs Work Hand-in-Hand

As the primary exterior drainage system on your property, we’ve talked at length about the important task that gutters fulfill in terms of keeping your foundation safe from damage caused by freezing groundwater and potential flooding.

While it’s true that your gutters are your first and best line of defense against damage to the underside of your house, gutters are also incredibly important for keeping the top of your home in good working order.  Your gutter system plays an incredibly important role in keeping your roof functioning properly, and if correctly maintained, will extend the life of your roof for years to come.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which you can extend your roof’s lifespan with a high-quality gutter system.

Protect the Integrity of Your Shingles

Shingles are designed to wick water away from your house and into the gutters.  They are not designed to be immersed in water for extended periods of time.  Gutters protect your roof by offering a path of least resistance through which water can flow, but if they aren’t properly maintained and become clogged or backed up, water can pool around the eaves and on gentler slopes on the roof. 

This is a recipe for disaster for all types of shingles, especially asphalt shingles, which can warp, crack, or shed granules if they are saturated with water.  If your shingles become waterlogged, they are effectively useless.

One of the most effective ways to combat water damage to shingles is to make sure that your gutters are cleaned seasonally and properly pitched.

Prevent Mold Growth

Mold and mildew are not only unsightly and potentially hazardous to health, they could even cause your home to be condemned by your local municipality.  In fact, every year in the United States, mold destroys more wood than termites and fires combined.

Mold and mildew infestations can occur anywhere in a house that has high ambient humidity such as bathrooms and basements, but mold growths in the roof are especially pernicious as they infect vulnerable unfinished wood which often goes undetected until it’s too late.  If left unattended, a mold infestation can necessitate roof replacement, which is an astronomically high expense for homeowners.

A properly functioning gutter system ameliorates concerns over mold growth by keeping water flowing from the roof and away from the eaves which are common penetration points for mold and mildew.

Keep Water Out of Your Roof

Water penetration can spell disaster for your roof’s structural integrity, the symptoms of which may not become clear for years.  As water seeps through a damaged roof, the porous wood that most roofs are made from will begin to warp and weaken as it soaks up water and then dries.  As the wood swells, it will weaken with time and put pressure on the exterior of the roof and on important support beams.  Given enough pressure, the roof may even collapse.

The damage caused by water leaking into the roof isn’t limited to the attic either.  As the wood in the roof becomes saturated, water may leak into drywall, causing rot and deterioration.   

Once again, provided that they are regularly cleaned and serviced, gutters do an excellent job in preventing build up of water on the roof, significantly extending its lifespan.

Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams occur when water freezes around detritus on the roof and in gutters.  Ice damming can be incredibly damaging for your roof as it causes heavy ice to accumulate around the eaves and seep into your shingles.  The expanding and contracting of the ice will destroy shingles and put excessive stress on the roof as a whole.

This is yet another issue that can be prevented with regular gutter maintenance.

It’s not hard to extend the life of your roof.  Along with your annual roof inspection, you just need to make sure that a professional takes care of your gutters as well, since they are designed to keep your roof in great condition.  If you’re ready for gutters to help protect your roof, call DanDan the Gutter Man today!