A home really has one primary “function” – to keep outside, well… outside. Yes, there are a lot of other functions, like being comfortable, warm, etc. But when it comes right down to it, a home protects us from the elements outside.
One of the primary elements a home protects us from is the rain. Rain is awesome and necessary – except when it gets inside our homes. That is why we have two primary ways to keep the rain out – a roof and our gutters.
A roof, when well maintained, will keep the rain from getting into our houses from the top. Flashing, shingles, and many other components make up this system. But what about the gutters?
While gutters are technically part of the roof system, their primary function is not to keep the rain out of the top of our homes, but the bottom. As water washes off of the roof, the gutters keep the rainwater in a channel that puts the water farther away from the home, and keeping it out of our basements and crawlspaces.
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