Besides the loss of effective water drainage that results from clogged gutters and the maintenance such a situation requires, there are a number of ways in which your home is at risk for damage. Avoiding the climb up a dangerous ladder four or more times a year is reason enough to seek protection for your gutters, but there are considerations for the structural integrity of your home as well.

Overflow

When a gutter is clogged with leaves and other debris, water will not drain to the downspouts and will instead flow over the side of your house. Even regular cleaning will not stop overflow after a high wind, especially in the Fall. When water is flowing over the side of your gutters, it can trickle down to your siding and pour down your home. Between the increased moisture on your siding and the organic material from the things that are clogging your gutter that come with it, mold and mildew have higher chances of forming. Mold and mildew can form spores and enter through windows and crevices into your home, aggravating people with respiratory illnesses such as asthma. Mold and mildew can also eat away at siding and rot interior wood within your walls.

Ground

Interior leaks in ceilings and walls are often the result of improper drainage from the roof. Without gutters to carry water away from joints, such as where a wall meets a roof, the chances of a leak are increased greatly. Once moisture penetrates the confines of your walls, it is very difficult and expensive to repair. If your home has a brick or stone veneer, spalling (chipping and cracking of mortar) is common when a gutter is splashing water around that erodes walls. Excess water in gardens, which often are close to a house and beneath gutters, can result in many dead plants.

Learn more about the gutter industry from the American Association of Rain Carrying System Installation Specialists.