things to know about eaves trough
Eaves trough might be one of the things you think about the least in your home, but it’s one of the most important aspects of a homes complete exterior system of preventing water infiltration. Finding the right type of eaves trough system to fit your homes’ needs as well as maintaining it might not be at the forefront of your project list, but it is a necessity, nonetheless.
Eaves troughs direct water from your roof. When they fail (or are not there in the first place), the water has no place to go but down into your foundation, which can lead to structural damage and can even cause leaks inside your home. Eaves troughs also help keep water away from walkways, and patios-nobody wants to get drenched walking out to the driveway! They also protect decks, doors and your homes siding from excessive water damage, and divert water away from the foundation to prevent sinking and cracking. Needless to say, without the proper system installed, your foundation, your roof, your basement, and your siding can sustain damages. A properly installed eaves trough system will include seamless trough on every sloped roof edge to prevent any leakage. Eaves trough can also be be installed with leaf and debris guards, which not only keep even the tiniest pine needle out of your system, but also increase the overall strength of your trough system (see the picture with 3 men hanging from the trough?). Eaves troughs should not leak or hold standing water, be securely attached to the fascia, and should have downspouts that are firmly fastened to the
exterior of the house.
Lastly, downspouts should not end close to the foundation. This is a common mistake that some installers and homeowners make. What’s the use of having a complete gutter system that dumps all the water from the roof at the side of the foundation? If the eaves troughs are not properly installed or maintained, you will be faced with costly repairs. Who wants that? Once installed, you can rest assured that this defense system will be hard at work come a rainstorm.
