Why Gutters are as Important as Your Roof

When it rains in Miami and south Florida, it rains! The roofing systems on homes and businesses must be well designed and constructed to meet the demands placed on them. And one of the most important components of a roofing system is the gutters.

A quality roofing contractor will tell you that a building’s gutter system is essential to preserving not only the roof, but the structure’s foundation, walls and surrounding landscaping. Here’s why.

As rainwater rolls off the roof it has to go somewhere. Without gutters, the water would simply flow over the edge of the roof and wash down the outside walls of the building, collected at the base. But water never stays still, and it would soon seep into the area around the foundation, weakening the structure.

Water would also enter any opening, even the smallest gap, in the side of the home. That means moisture seeping into interior walls and ruining them. In addition, rain rolling directly off the roof’s edge would fall onto shrubs, plants, flowers, walkways – damaging anything in its path below.

A well-designed gutter system prevents all that. A good gutter sits snugly under the edge of the roof, with no gaps to allow seepage. The gutter itself should be wide enough and deep enough to capture the expected amount of rainwater. The best gutters are seamless to avoid any leakage, and are made of aluminum to prevent rust and rot.

One of the most overlooked parts of a gutter system is the downspouts. Water collected in the gutter must be channeled down and away from the home. The downspouts should be wide enough to easily accommodate a heavy flow of water, and be long enough at the base to direct the water well away from the foundation.

When choosing a roofing contractor in Miami, be sure they are also able to design, fabricate and properly install a gutter system that will fully complete the roof system.