Water damage is one of the worst things you can experience as a homeowner.

One means of protection from the damage water can do to both the interior and exterior of your home are gutters and rainspouts.

Here’s what they can do for you.

Prevent Flooding and Water Damage

Gutters and downspouts catch and re-direct water away from your home, which is especially important during periods of heavy rainfall.

If you have a basement in a house without gutters and downspouts, the odds of you experiencing flooding or water damage increase.

If you see water seeping into the basement or notice wet floors after a storm, it’s time to figure out what is causing water to seep into your basement.

Seeping water is a problem because it’s very likely that there are areas you can’t see where the floors remain wet and never dry out. These areas include dark corners or areas hidden behind stored items.

If you are unfortunate enough to have more than wet floors and there’s standing water, it’s time to call in a professional to dry up, sanitize, find and fix the source of the water.

Erosion Control

Excessive amounts of water erodes the soil around the foundation of your home, meant to slope water away from the home.

Once the soil erodes away, there’s nothing to stop water from pooling around your foundation, increasing the odds of damage or flooding.

Gutters and downspouts keep erosion control measures around your home safe.

Prevent Foundation Damage

Without gutters and downspouts directing water away from the foundation of your home, water settles into the ground right next to it.

Over time, this excessive water will crack the foundation and even more water will get inside, increasing the odds of flooding, standing water, mold and other home damaging issues.

Eventually, this damage comprises the foundation of your home.

In Sonoma County where winter means extra rainy conditions, make it a priority to install gutters and downspouts on your home.

Mold

When water seeps into your home in places you can’t find, the potential for mold runs high.

Keep in mind that water can get into your home through cracks in the foundation or even basement windows, especially if you don’t have gutters and downspouts to keep the water away from your home.

It won’t take long for wet areas or stored items in the basement to grow mold. The mildew smell is a giveaway that there are wet areas covered in mold.

If you can’t find the mold, call in a professional mold remediation company to resolve the problem.

Insect Infestations

Without gutters and downspouts at work, water collects and sits all around the foundation of your home.

Standing water located near the foundation has little chance to dry out or be redirected to an area where the sun dries it up or where it can be absorbed into dry ground.

Not only does standing water negatively affect the foundation, but it also creates an environment which attracts and breeding grounds for mosquitos and other insects.

No matter if you treat the area with insecticide, the standing water will keep attracting these insects and you’ll find yourself with a potential infestation.

These insects find ways to enter your home through cracks in the windows or foundation walls.

Exterior Damage

Gutters and downspouts prevent water from damaging the exterior of your home depending on what type of siding or exterior finish you have.

Water stains cause siding stains, paint damage or wood on the exterior to rot.

In addition to the aesthetic unappeal, it’s going to cost more money to re-paint the house, replace siding or wood around windows or other places on your home.

Conclusion

While installing gutters and downspouts requires an investment, they prevent damage to your home and save you money in the long run.

It’s important to repair or replace existing gutters and downspouts because if they are installed improperly or are failing, they can pull away from the home and cause damage in other areas.

If it’s too late to avoid a water damage issue, call the experts at RCS in Santa Rosa, CA. We are here to help with your water damage, flooding or mold remediation needs.