A COMMENTARY BY PAULA L. HUNT
In an industry where costs are drastically rising and profit margins are down, the fat is being trimmed. But are some home builders trimming meat along with the fat? Do builders have a legitimate reason for not putting rain gutters on the homes they build? What are the negative effects that a homeowner suffers from not having rain gutters, or from a poor rain gutter installation? Is it better not to have rain gutters at all?
To find out, I spoke with some experts on the subject: Lawrence Villarreal, of AVCO Construction and Foundation Company; Steve Carroll of Cariola Homes; homeowners, Donald Lee of Bulverde and Diana Blount of San Antonio; and Scott Hunt, of The Finest In Rain Gutters.com, a 17 year veteran of the Rain Gutter Industry.
Q: Let’s start by establishing the purpose of a rain gutter system. Mr. Hunt?
Scott Hunt: The main purpose of a rain gutter system is to safely collect and channel all of the roof water away from the foundation of the home, to prevent cracks and breakage due to expansion and contraction of soil. Secondary purposes include prevention of wood rot, masonry staining, and damage to landscaping.
Q: Mr. Villareal, as a foundation expert, could you tell us exactly what causes foundation damage to homes built in this specific area, South Central Texas?
Lawrence Villarreal: Many people are moving to this area from out of state and they don’t realize that here, in Texas, we have what is called “highly expansive clay soil.” This means that when moisture levels change there is a high degree of expansion in the soil around the foundation when moist, and shrinkage when soils dry. It’s imperative to maintain and monitor the level of moisture around the foundation of a home to prevent damage.
Q: Mr. Villareal, looking back at all the foundation repairs your company has done, do you believe rain gutters would have made a difference in these cases?
Lawrence Villarreal: Yes, absolutely, as long as the gutters are installed correctly. I have seen rain gutters installed improperly that have caused more damage than having no gutters at all. You have to make sure there are no downspouts draining to areas where the grade slopes back toward the home’s foundation. Grade should always slope away from the foundation.
Q: Why do you think that some builders are not putting gutters on the homes they build, Mr. Hunt?
Scott Hunt: Two reasons, to cut cost, and to avoid warrantee work that results from improperly designed or poorly installed systems. The profit margin in home building has gotten very tight. Builders are looking for ways to cut cost and gutters are viewed by some builders as an extra. The general attitude is that gutters are unnecessary. This is a very risky thing to believe when you consider the importance of the home’s foundation. Years down the road, hind sight is 20/20 for the homeowner, who’s facing tens of thousands of dollars in foundation repairs. This largely results from not having gutters, or even simply from having the wrong company install the system. My goal is not really to run down other gutter companies, but if you are not hanging good product, I want you to quit. Because you are giving a bad name to an industry that I have dedicated my life to.
Q: Can an installation really go that wrong?
Scott Hunt: Anybody can buy a gutter machine. Anybody can run up a ladder and stick a piece of gutter on a house. I can teach a monkey how to do that. It doesn’t mean the system is going to work correctly for you. It doesn’t mean it’s going to help your home. A lot of gutter companies out there will put anything up, using the cheapest labor and materials possible. They seem to be more interested in the profit than in doing a good job. That’s bad business. The sad thing is that the homeowner ultimately suffers in that scenario, not the builder, and certainly not the gutter company. It’s experience, experience, experience. That’s who you’re going to get a good rain gutter system out of, an experienced, reputable company.
Q: What are some of the things that can happen?
Scott Hunt: Well, putting spouts on inside corners or near valleys is a bad mistake because the whole purpose of a rain gutter system is to get the water OUT of those areas, not to dump it into them. Other kinds of mistakes that I see are leaky corners, gutters being hung too low on the fascia, the wrong size of gutters for the type of roof, inadequate downspouting [all of which cause wood rot to your fascia], hangers too far apart or cheap hangers, not enough caulk, [these are common ways a company can “cheat” to bring down it’s cost] or the wrong method of installation for the individual application. The list goes on and on. Just drive down any street in San Antonio and look at the gutter systems and see for yourself. If you will just take a look, you will start seeing what’s wrong.
Q: Mr. Carroll, as a custom home builder, homeowners are depending on your expertise. Do you put rain gutter systems on the homes you build? Why, or why not?
Steve Carroll: I put gutter on my houses because they need it. Some say the homeowner can do this later, but once they move in, they can’t afford it. So they wait. The price goes up, and they still can’t afford it. The price is only going to go up. I believe in building homes where the homeowner doesn’t have to do anything once they move in. It’s all done. All they have to worry about is moving in.
Q: Mrs. Blount (homeowner), did you have rain gutters put on your home when it was built?
Diana Blount: My builder didn’t tell me I needed rain gutters. We built our home, then went overseas for a few years and rented it out. When we came back, we had to replace the siding and all the window trim because of water damage. Our remodeler told us we needed rain gutters. The builder never mentioned it.
Q: Mr. Lee (homeowner), you recently had your foundation leveled. How much did this cost?
Don Lee: Around $19,000.
Q: What was the main cause of the damage to your home?
Mr. Lee: The previous owner had put up his own rain gutters and put two downspouts in an inside corner by the garage. There was no diversion of water, he just put all the water in one area. I would have been better off if he had done nothing at all. I’m sure it was cheap, but you know, you get what you pay for.
Q: If you could go back to when your home was built, would you leave rain gutters off of your home, or have them put on?
Don Lee: I would have them done by a professional, someone with 15-20 years experience or so. I mean, you could take the lowest bid, but how did the guy get that low? What is he leaving off that I need? I get a better feeling if I know it’s done right the first time and I don’t have to worry about it.
“To Gutter or Not To Gutter?”
I think this is a legitimate question with an obvious answer. And although I certainly understand the hesitation of a builder or homeowner who’s had a bad experience, avoiding gutters altogether is not the answer. The answer is to do your homework and research the companies you use, in all areas of subcontracting. Builders that have had a bad experience with a roofing job do not leave the roofs off of their homes. That would be ridiculous. It is equally ridiculous to not protect the home’s foundation.
While bottom line and profit margin are understandably important, shouldn’t the long term protection of the homeowner’s investment be even more important?
Sources:
Donald Lee, Homeowner, Bulverde, Texas
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Diana Blount, Homeowner, San Antonio, Texas
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Scott Hunt of ATRG, LLC , “The Finest In Rain Gutters.”
210-313-9732 / www.The Finest In Rain Gutters.com
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Lawrence Villarreal of AVCO Construction and Foundation Company
210-737-3826 / “Over 40 Years Experience!”
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Steve Carroll of Cariola Homes
A True Craftsman / 210-304-9248
All content © 2005- Scott Hunt