You worked hard on your landscaping. Whether you designed and did everything yourself or hired a professional, it took time and hard work to get your landscaping looking the way it is. You also take the time to maintain it: watering the lawn when no rain is in the forecast, applying grass seed, pruning bushes and flower beds, and lawn treatments when needed.
The last thing you want is your hard work and dedication to be ruined. Unfortunately, soil erosion is a common issue with homes that don’t have quality gutter systems. Homes with quality gutter systems aid in keeping landscaping in beautiful shape. How? Keep reading to learn how proper gutter systems can reduce soil erosion.
What is Soil Erosion?
Before we discuss how gutters cause soil erosion and how proper gutter systems aid in soil erosion prevention, let’s discuss what soil erosion is. Soil has six layers: bedrock (the very bottom), regolith (soil and broken rock), subsoil (contains clay and sand), eluviation, topsoil, and humus (the very top). Soil erosion happens when the top layers—humus and topsoil—are destroyed.
Soil erosion can be caused by natural forces like severe rainstorms or man-made forces like overwatering, driving on the grass, etc. It occurs when the top layers are exposed to heavy rain, strong winds, excess water, or from digging, overwatering, etc. Soil is a vital ingredient that helps grass grow and plants, flowers, and bushes thrive. Without it, our lawns wouldn’t have beautiful grass and our plants wouldn’t survive.
How Can Faulty Gutters Cause Soil Erosion?
As previously mentioned, soil erosion can occur from man-made actions. Gutter systems function to collect and carry stormwater and meltwater away from the roof and home, diverting it through the downspouts and away from the foundation. But what happens when the gutter system is faulty or old? Soil erosion.
When a gutter system isn’t working as it should, excess water makes its way into our yards and garden beds. Overwatering can kill grass, trees, and plants, causing the first two layers to be washed away and exposed to the elements. Without topsoil, our lawns and plants can’t survive, grow, or thrive.
Imagine this: a gutter system is damaged or clogged, spilling water over the sides of the gutters that lands in grass or garden beds. Over time, more water makes its way into your yard, being flushed further into your landscaping. All the excess water would bleed into the rest of the yard, soaking the first two layers of soil and flushing the topsoil out of the yard. The lawn would be soggy with loose topsoil, upheaved grass, and dying plants.
How do Proper Gutter Systems Reduce Soil Erosion?
If a gutter system worked well to collect and carry rainwater and meltwater from the home’s roof and divert it away from the foundation and lawn through the downspouts, landscapes would be in great shape. Only rainwater and meltwater that naturally occur would touch the landscaping, not excess water from a faulty gutter system.
Less water in the lawn means less of a chance for soil erosion to occur. A quality gutter system should be in great shape without visible damage, have no clogs, and quickly flush water effectively through the system. If this doesn’t sound like your gutter system, it’s time to get it replaced.
Homeowners in Lynchburg and surrounding cities need a quality, durable, seamless gutter system from Home Evolutions VA. Our gutter solutions are top-of-the-line in Lynchburg and protect any home from drainage issues. Whether you install our seamless gutters or the K-Guard System, your landscaping will be free from soil erosion caused by faulty gutters!
Our standard seamless gutters can be installed with or without our Xtreme Mesh Gutter Guard System that blocks debris. Our K-Guard Gutters are so durable that they come with multiple warranties! We offer lifetime no-clog, no pull-away, and paint warranties! These warranties mean your gutter system will last a lifetime, looking as good as the day you installed it decades later. Our seamless gutter installation is quick with three simple steps: free estimate, customizing your seamless gutters, and, finally, the gutter installation!
Home Evolutions VA can help with all your home improvement needs, whether you need help with an insurance claim or a quote for installing a new roof or gutter system. We’re here to help every step of the way throughout the entire process. Contact us today for a free consultation!
