Do Houston Homes Need Gutters? (Tynan: how much, new home, landscaping)

[Tya1987]

Just bought my first house in Houston and it's a new home, I realized it doesn't have gutters on it, now I come from Milwaukee, WI where we had basements so all homes had gutters, but are they needed to protect the foundation here? Or is it not a big deal? I'm wondering if it's worth it to put them on?

[In_Correct]

Originally Posted by Tya1987

Just bought my first house in Houston and it's a new home, I realized it doesn't have gutters on it, now I come from Milwaukee, WI where we had basements so all homes had gutters, but are they needed to protect the foundation here? Or is it not a big deal? I'm wondering if it's worth it to put them on?

[979Texan]

Not a big deal. You don't need gutters.

[haudi]

It depends. How is your drainage and drip line off your house? Is your backyard being flooded from the water running off the roof? If so, you probably want to divert the water off using gutters. Are you getting erosion from the drip line on your roof? If so, you probably want to divert the water off using gutters. My previous house didn't have rear gutters and I never needed them. My current home absolutely needed rear gutters, but not side ones. So, really it depends on your situation. The good news is that they aren't terribly expensive to have installed.

[crone]

Most inspectors recommend gutters.

How much overhang is there? Are you putting in planting beds around the house? It also depends on the amount of runoff from the roof. Some places there is hardly any, some places a torrent comes off the roof that would wash away anything on the ground.

We have purchased a couple of houses in wooded areas where the owners put in rock for about 15-18 inches around the foundation rather than constantly cleaning gutters.

[77030]

not required, but depending on landscaping, etc. it can get messy without them.

[trbstang]

Like many have said, depends on what you have below the eaves, and how the water washes off the roof. Our home came with gutters on the front of the house that extending back about 3' on the sides primarily because it had nice landscaping installed in the front. I added gutters to the rear corner by our detached garage because during a downpour, it would splash a lot as you are walking to the back door. We have a lot of the rain from the roof concentrated in a small paved area right by where you walk. But in the areas where it is just grass or pavement, we did not bother with them and have no issues except for a water drip line on the driveway and patio.

I end up cleaning them out on a ladder once a year, usually when installing Christmas lights after the leaves have fallen since I'm on the ladder anyway. I usually run the water hose through it another time later in the year if I see they are filling up. I do need to re glue some of the end caps and replace downspouts as they are showing wear.

If you do get some, I would recommend getting the larger downspouts since they will not clog as easily as the smaller ones. Mine will clog up occasionally, and I will be replacing them all with the larger ones. And I certainly prefer the screw on hidden mounting hooks vs the nail and ferrule installation.

Good luck!

[bu2]

Originally Posted by trbstang

Like many have said, depends on what you have below the eaves, and how the water washes off the roof. Our home came with gutters on the front of the house that extending back about 3' on the sides primarily because it had nice landscaping installed in the front. I added gutters to the rear corner by our detached garage because during a downpour, it would splash a lot as you are walking to the back door. We have a lot of the rain from the roof concentrated in a small paved area right by where you walk. But in the areas where it is just grass or pavement, we did not bother with them and have no issues except for a water drip line on the driveway and patio.

I end up cleaning them out on a ladder once a year, usually when installing Christmas lights after the leaves have fallen since I'm on the ladder anyway. I usually run the water hose through it another time later in the year if I see they are filling up. I do need to re glue some of the end caps and replace downspouts as they are showing wear.

If you do get some, I would recommend getting the larger downspouts since they will not clog as easily as the smaller ones. Mine will clog up occasionally, and I will be replacing them all with the larger ones. And I certainly prefer the screw on hidden mounting hooks vs the nail and ferrule installation.

Good luck!

Also depends on your shingles and windows. We had a house with a short overhang. The person who had re-built it was using it to keep the foundation watered. But the impact was that water dripped on the wood windows and we had a lot of wood rot.

Of course with gutters, you tend to get wood rot behind the gutters.

[texas7]

Unless you enjoy having your sides of your home look like algae -- yes you need gutters.

[elnina]

Some houses have gutters, some not. Check yours during/after heavy rain. If water will drain away from the house when it falls off of the roof, then you don't need gutters.
Gutters play a key role in properly handling water; however, they are not easy to maintain, and we do not always see them as necessary.
In Houston with some really heavy rains, your concern is how you force the water away from your house. Depends what kind of roof you have you might want gutter on the back of your house, or upper roof, or all around the house.
If you don't like gutters, you need to consider what happen on the ground. You surely don't want water to pool, so having some object that forces the water away may be the answer. You could regrade the land here, then install a splashguard. You could have a decorative stones, or something that splashes the water away from the house. A well maintained gutter would be the best, but you do have cheaper options.

If you decide to have gutter, remember that you need to do periodical cleaning. There are different gutter systems, some almost maintenance free. A cheaper solution is to have screens over the gutter and clean it 1-2 times a year ( leaves, needles, little pebbles for UV protection on composite shingles, or branches).

How to Improve Your Home's Gutters | Inspected Thoughts
//www.city-data.com/forum/houst...utterless.html
Less and less often is the use of gutters necessary - Your Houston News: Tom Tynan