What's Wrong With This Picture? Downspout Drainage

                   Answer: Misalignment

A good home inspector knows anytime a potentially destructive water issue is discovered it makes for a worthwhile inspection. Water damage to homes is among the most common insurance claims and ranks high in terms of costly repairs.

Paying attention to detail was rewarded during this inspection when discovering this incomplete gutter/downspout configuration. The assessment? Either the downspout has fallen away from the left gutter, or an extension to the right gutter has been removed. Both conditions will allow roof runoff to spill to the ground below negatively affecting grading, siding, and possibly allowing water to penetrate the structure.

It's important to remember all water coming in contact with the exterior of your home needs to be, by design, directed away from the home up to a minimum of 6 feet. Downspouts, extensions, splash guards, underground drains, positive grading, and swales are all ways to divert water away from your home.

Additionally, it might be worth noting the condition of the slope and shingle of the roof emptying into the gutter at left. It's difficult to determine from just this picture, but, at this point, one should be asking questions about condition of underlayment, number of layers of shingles, type of shingle adequacy, pitch, and water direction. All factors that could have a bearing on the roof's ability to shed water.

Thank you Gordon Glidden from the Michigan Inspection Team for taking time to submit to this blog.