What are the pros and cons of rain gutters?

Question

I am taking of mine right now so I can repaint my house. It seems that some of the rotten fascia board I am seeing is due to water getting behind the gutters. I am considering only reinstalling the gutters over my patio, entryway, and garage door. I would like to have them there just to keep the pouring water off us as we enter the house. Just looking for some advise from someone who is not trying to sell me their product.

I have aluminum gutters now. What material would you recommend using. ie vinyl, copper, etc.

Answer 1

there aren't really any cons, other than cleaning them. you can eliminate that if you screen them or a 'gutter helmet' when you put them back up. they are designed to protect your foundation from water penetration.  if they are properly installed, the fascia should be protected. maybe they were installed AFTER the rot on the fascia. this can occur when gutters are installed and the shingles were set only to overhang the fascia. aluminum are fine if properly installed. replace the rotten fascia and re-install so that shingles overhang the back side, or install a drip edge along the eave, so that water can not splashback or run back from the shingles to behind the gutter.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

your gutters allow you to direct rainfall from the roof, away from your foundation, and prevents it from splashing up on the siding. without them, you could have water enter your basement, rot the siding, or worse the framing in the wall. your fascia board rot could also be caused by ice dams if you live in a northern climate, or clogged gutters. i'd suggest re installing your aluminum gutters, pitching them correctly to the downspouts, and investing in some good quality gutter screens. i'm not referring to those plastic mesh type, either. plastic gutters are junk, they fall apart all the time, and are prone to leaking, since they only come in 10' lengths. as for copper, right now it's at all time high prices, and thieves are stripping it out of, and off of houses in many areas of the country! a properly installed and working gutter system does more for your home than keep you from getting wet when you enter it. also, make sure the down spouts haven't split their seams due to freezing before you put them back on the house. good luck, hope this helps.

Answer 3

As car dude says, there are many good things about gutters. If your fascia's were covered with aluminum coil trim that went under your eve metal or shingles, this would resolve the rot problem. Seamless gutters are great as would be copper just not as costly. If reinstalled, take the time to caulk every gutter spike to help waterproof. Keeping the leaves and straw out is always a plus. Do not allow plants around downspouts as some roots will grow into them. Allow the drains to take water as far from the house as possible with solid and glued 4 or 6 inch PVC pipe.