Growing up in Austin I was raised in a home that was built back sometime in the early 1920's. As you can probably guess it didn't have any gutters. So you can just imagine when my husband Josh came to pitch me the idea for a gutter company. I laughed and said, "Gutters? Who needs gutters?". 

Obviously, after all these years, I have come to realize the importance of having gutters on your home for various reasons and I say this not because it's my business. I have seen damage to homes that was easily preventable had gutters been considered. I also recently went back to visit my childhood home and knowing what I now know about gutters, realize that some of the damage to the home occurred from not having adequate drainage away from the home anywhere water drained off the roofline.

Gutters should be placed on any roofline where water drains off onto the ground. The primary and most important reason for this is to protect your foundation. Now it is true that some water is needed to keep the soil around your foundation moistened but the amount of rainwater that comes off of the roof is way more than is needed. This leads to soil erosion and oversaturation which can turn into thousands of dollars of foundation repair if left unchecked. 

Splash back and staining of the siding, brick, stone, stucco, & slab is another common concern when gutters are not present. Due to the force of the water hitting the ground it wears down the grass, creates a drip line and in more advanced cases a crater like hole where valleys are located (two or more rooflines come together).  The dirt then begins to show through which then becomes mud. It then begins to splash back towards the home which results in staining along with the unnecessary cost of sod and dirt replacement that is avoidable if you had gutters. 

Rotting of fascia boards is another concern when gutters are not present. This is not as pressing unless you do not have drip edge that protects the trim board or fascia. I have still seen it  happen, although not as much as the first two reasons, but it is definitely something to consider.  The bottom skirting of wood siding can also become rotted if it is too close to the ground where water can sit.  

If you've taken the time to read this chances are you are really giving gutters a thought. The benefits definitely outweigh the cost of installing gutters. It's an investment that will pay off many times over!