As a home inspector with over 10 years of experience, I have seen my fair share of houses without gutters. And as a homeowner myself, I have often wondered why some houses don't have this essential feature. After all, gutters are designed to protect our homes from water damage, so why would anyone choose not to have them?Well, the truth is that not all homes need gutters. In areas with low rainfall or snowfall, gutters are not necessary since the amount of water that falls along the roof is not significant enough to cause any damage.
Additionally, there are certain qualities that a house may possess that make gutters unnecessary. For example, a house without a basement may not need gutters since there is no foundation for the water to seep into. Similarly, a house with excellent landscape drainage may also not require gutters as the water can easily flow away from the house without causing any damage. But what about homes that do need gutters? Why would someone choose not to install them? Well, one reason could be that the house was built according to code and is located on a slight slope. This slope is designed to keep runoff away from the foundations of the house. So even if it rains and water falls from the roof, it will simply slide off the walls and flow away from the house thanks to gravity. However, if a house does not have gutters and it rains, the water can cause massive erosion.
This means that with every rainfall, more and more dirt is washed away from the carefully sloped landscape. As a result, runoff can start flowing towards the house instead of away from it, potentially causing damage to the foundation. This is why it is crucial to have gutters installed on your home if it needs them. Not only do they protect your house from water damage, but they also help maintain the integrity of your landscape and prevent erosion.
