Water penetration is arguably one of the costliest problems that a homeowner can face. Unfortunately, in most cases, people think of systems externally which operate separately instead of collaboratively. Roof, gutters, siding and grading do not operate on their own but rather as a singular system because when one component fails, the other components are on borrowed time as well.
By recognizing how these preventative systems work in conjunction with each other, homeowners can recognize problems sooner and approach maintenance in a more prudent way. In many situations, when a failure occurs in one area, it results in a cascading effect that creates damage in other systems which, had they been singled out initially, would have prevented far more costly repairs down the line.
How Water Naturally Moves Around Your Home
Water moves in predictable patterns against a home which dictates how well the systems work together. First, it hits the roof and then goes down to the gutters, is diverted away through downspouts, and gradually through grading should be pushed away from the home to prevent any water from accumulating around foundations.
However, when the process occurs differently, problems arise. When gutters overflow, water cascades down siding and into foundations. When downspouts direct water too close to the house, it infiltrates basements and crawl spaces. When grading slopes incorrectly to the house instead of away from it, there will always be water pooling around foundations no matter how well these other systems are working.
They require each other to exist in harmony. There is no benefit of incredible gutter systems without a working roof to shed the water appropriately; there is no benefit of great grading if the gutters are dumping thousands of gallons of water in front of the foundation anyway.
The Importance of Gutters in the System
Gut gutters act as the connective component between roof shedding and foundation protection. They are arguably one of the most important systems for preventative water penetration because they are supposed to get the water away from the house – but when they don’t function properly, the water is redirected down the exterior walls and stacks up against foundations.
As a result, many gutters are in need of residential gutter replacement as a preventive measure long before other systems show damage from misdirected water flow patterns. Gutters that cannot contain roof runoff create issues that negatively impact everything downstream.
Seamless gutters offer better solutions than sectional gutters since they do not have seams that pull apart where water leaks out. Those leaks seam too often in heavy rain to convert to downspouts dumping water onto siding and foundations.
Sizing is more important than most people realize. Small gutters will overflow during mild storms while oversized gutters will not create flow velocity through expansion to automatically clean themselves; thus, they too overflow. The roof area and rainfall statistics dictate what system sizing is necessary.
How Roofing Affects Everything Downstream
Roofing is where it all starts; it’s the first line in external preventative coverage for water management. Therefore, if there are problems on the roof with drainage or neglect, problems compound as it moves downstream through gutters and siding.
If there is excessive runoff on the roof that overwhelms the gutters but they’re improperly pitched it is even worse. If there are holes in the roof, shingles begging to be replaced or eroded flashing that allows water to penetrate there as well – leaks can permeate wall systems which reduce walls’ ability to shed water as siding.
Roof pitch will determine how fast water can reach and how much volume needs to be contained for gutter systems. Steep pitch roofs will have higher volume but faster access; low pitch roofs will not receive optimal access and may succumb to standing water issues which develop into leaks.
Ice dams are a horrible addition on roofs because they act in contradictory nature to gravity and cause ice to build up under shingles instead of flowing out. Ultimately, this backs up moisture damage to the roof deck and batting and walls downhill while weighing down gutters so much that they come off entirely.
Flashing creates points of failure behind chimneys and vents which insert penetration points for moisture while sitting behind the scenes initially until they become holes many years down the road.
Siding as the Secondary Water Stop
Siding is meant to stop any roof drainage or gutter dramas from penetrating past a certain point but it’s not designed for bulk exposure on a repeat basis. Siding is meant as a secondary water barrier after roof and gutters have done their job but should they overflow or experience issues, siding becomes a catchall for failure.
Vinyl siding can shed some exposure but where seams line the pieces together is potentially problematic if it’s something like gutter overflow which could soak through each joint. Wood can absorb quite a bit of moisture but too much soaking will soften it and create rot over time.
Siding should include waterproofing from behind where barriers exist which can withstand a certain amount of moisture; however, like any other material, too much moisture cannot be conducive if it’s going to reach building materials like framing and insulation.
The gap between the siding edge and foundation is essential if the gutters aren’t working properly; when water runs down siding it can exacerbate this existing gap and create problems in basements or crawlspaces where overly saturated soil runs parallel with foundation walls.
Grading as the Last Line of Defense
Grading is the last component that should naturally flow away from a house; if it’s clear overgrown then no matter how much roofing or siding work is effective at keeping water out the ground grading still directs up against foundations.
Ideally there is supposed to be at least six inches of grading over ten feet away from a foundation into an earth grade but oftentimes houses settle or landscaping occurs afterward creating grading issues where none existed at construction. New additions may create failures elsewhere.
Negative grading – where it slopes toward a house – will cause problems beyond anyone’s control. When gutters discharge downspouts onto negative graded earth areas they effectively generate a pump type experience for flooding into foundations creating hydrostatic pressure which causes basement issues as well as shifting foundations.
Where Systems Fail Together
The most expensive results occur when multiple failures happen at once or from one compounding failure into another without proactively addressing something sooner on its own merit. Clogged gutters can overflow and soak siding which then absorbs too much damage while interior moisture lines make it an expensive fix for footings or basement walls.
Settling can throw off gutter alignment which then exposes window trim or causes missing flashing which backs up through siding platforms and roof; this domino effect could have been avoided had someone paid attention early on when it settled three inches over the course of two decades.
Prevention means recognizing these systems as collaborative efforts instead of independent successes for easier tracking on maintenance schedules. Every system should receive like-minded attention unless it’s clear one component is far worse than others above when changed.
The point is that exterior systems all work together. When they fail or don’t work collaboratively then expensive changes occur outside – and beyond – owner’s control.
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