Downspouts.....are they needed

[rodie]

We just closed on our Lantana, and we do not have downspouts all around the house. Has anyone looked into this as far as the need of having downspouts around the entire house, and if so, who do you recommend to do that?

[Golfer in Sanibel]

I have the same question. My son in Tampa has a friend who moved from the North and started a spouting business in Tampa. He said very few builders in Florida include spouting. My son's friend is so busy putting spouting on the homes for Northerners he doesn't have time to spend all his money. He's working 7 days a week. It seems it's just the Northerners who feel the need for spouting.

My thoughts are, up North, most of us have basements. It's important to get the rain water away from the basement/foundation so the gravel in the footers doesn't fill up with silt. When the footers fill up with silt and water tries to get in there it has no place to go and it permeates your basement walls. But on a slab? It doesn't logically seem to be necessary. I would think the fact that all-around the home spouting isn't put on homes here should tell us it's not necessary. But, I really don't know for sure.

[784caroline]

We put ours in the front over the garage (otherwise you have a wall of water comming down while you are trying to get out of the garage, plus your drive way can get stained), in the rear by the back door and birdcage(again allows you to get out the back door and eliminates the wall of water, PLus one other place you may wan to add gutters is along the side of the house where the AC unit is.....there is a crick in the roof and the water just pours down that crick and was creating a divot in the ground..plus you have a window to protect on the garage side.

[Xavier]

When it rains here, it really comes down. We put eavestroughs all around our Designer Gardenia (2,694 sq. ft. footprint) to keep moisture (somewhat) away from the house. Wet can equate to mold, mildew, moss, bug incubation, etc. Another reason is that our windows were always a mess from the rain. I can't say that it helped all that much, but some. The third reason was that water splashed dirt and debris onto the house. The fourth reason, water splashing significantly into the lanai. The cost was very reasonable - $563. Hills from Belleview did the job and were excellent.

Xavier

[skyguy79]

When we had our gutters installed by Hill last year, I questioned why a gutter and downspout wasn't installed along the front of the lanai. I was simply told it wasn't needed there and wouldn't do much good because of the way the roof slopes. I think any reputable installer like Hill will relyable advise you where and where not these items are needed, especially if you ask!

[buggyone]

Add-ons like downspouts are just another reason to purchase a pre-owned home. A new home buyer typically assumes that all houses come with downspouts. All the little extras add up to a lot of money. My advice is to look at pre-owned homes in established neighborhoods and compare them to the new homes in neighborhoods under construction.

Yes, downspouts are necessary to channel the rainwater away from the base of your house.

[graciegirl]

Even Premiers only have down spouts in the front and they seem to come with most of the extras.

We have chosen NOT to install them on either new home here.

We do not see the need. It isn't going into your basement. It goes into sandy soil and pffft, it is gone. If you want to support your local downspout person, that is your choice.

[applesoffh]

We chose to have leders and gutters installed around our home (new Lilac) as soon as we moved in. No, there's no basement, but there's a concrete slab, we have a frame house and will do everything we need to keep termites at bay. Besides, in rainy season, I don't want puddles of rain under the windows to breed mosquitos.

[blueash]

If you don't have a downspout you can't have a rain barrel.

[skyguy79]

If you don't have a downspout you can't have a rain barrel.Oh well, there goes all your laughs on nice days! :p

[Villageshooter]

Gutters get the water away from our homes ,' this has to help with a th sink hole problem

[rubicon]

I have the same question. My son in Tampa has a friend who moved from the North and started a spouting business in Tampa. He said very few builders in Florida include spouting. My son's friend is so busy putting spouting on the homes for Northerners he doesn't have time to spend all his money. He's working 7 days a week. It seems it's just the Northerners who feel the need for spouting.

My thoughts are, up North, most of us have basements. It's important to get the rain water away from the basement/foundation so the gravel in the footers doesn't fill up with silt. When the footers fill up with silt and water tries to get in there it has no place to go and it permeates your basement walls. But on a slab? It doesn't logically seem to be necessary. I would think the fact that all-around the home spouting isn't put on homes here should tell us it's not necessary. But, I really don't know for sure.

Golfer in Sanibel: I agree gutters are designed to keep the water away from the foundation and to eliminate the pressure against basement walls. They are also used to prevent water from dripping on your head when you walk ourside after a rain. It is also why they use diverters. I beleieve in gutters as a means to control water flowing from the roof

[thekeithfan]

We just closed on our Lantana, and we do not have downspouts all around the house. Has anyone looked into this as far as the need of having downspouts around the entire house, and if so, who do you recommend to do that?

Do you have gutters and no down spouts? Thats not a northern thing it's a builder saving money thing.

[graciegirl]

Gutters get the water away from our homes ,' this has to help with a th sink hole problem


Really?

[graciegirl]

Do you have gutters and no down spouts? Thats not a northern thing it's a builder saving money thing.

No it isn't. It is a Florida thing. All new homes come with gutters and downspouts across the front of our homes. Many people choose to add them around the other parts because that is what they are used to. People who sell the added ones tell you that it keeps the wood from getting moist and thus deters termites. I don't figure the logic of this but if it makes you happy, please put the extra ones in.

[memason]

We had gutters and downspouts installed around our home, after some of the downpours last year. Where there are roof valleys, the rain runoff was digging holes in my landscaping and lawn. More that 50% of my home already had guttering, so I just finished the job. We also had the downspouts buried, so the rain water comes up in the lawn...

[mrsyarbie]

I have lived in Florida(my hubby a native) for about 25 years and I have had 4 custom homes all had rain sputs and gutters. I dont know why TV does not except it may save them some money not to do it. 1 of my kids has a "tract" home and he does too . I think builders may have done away with it to cut costs. 5 more days till we are offically residents...:wave:

[rodie]

We had gutters and downspouts installed around our home, after some of the downpours last year. Where there are roof valleys, the rain runoff was digging holes in my landscaping and lawn. More that 50% of my home already had guttering, so I just finished the job. We also had the downspouts buried, so the rain water comes up in the lawn...

Do you mind sharing who put them on for you and what the approximate cost was?

[jimbo2012]

vinyl gutters ($1 per foot), you can assume that, using a professional installer the cost will be roughly $3.00 a foot to complete the job.

[Xavier]

Do you mind sharing who put them on for you and what the approximate cost was?

Ours were bought and installed for $3.09 per foot of gutter. That price includes 5 downspouts and extensions as well.

Xavier