In the Pacific Northwest, where we have so much rain, gutters are a pretty important part of a home. They control the rain and runoff water. Around here, when you see a house without gutters and downspouts there is almost always a big pile of mud under the eaves, caused by the falling water. Missing gutters is what we call a conducive condition. One construction method that has become common is to install gutters on dormers but to install gutters that have open ends. The gutters have a slight slope back and from there they drain onto the roof below. From a home inspector's standpoint, these are not our favorites. For one thing, they lead to heavy runoff on that area of the roof, and usually for quite a distance, so the runoff is hard on the surface of the shingles. Also, since they tend to be high, people are even less likely to clean them than other gutters. When that happens, an inspector usually finds something like in the photo below. When gutters are like this, they often overflow during a heavy rain. Also note the small section of trim wood behind the open end of the gutter. You can be sure that it does not appreciate the water.
Thanks for looking.
Steven L. Smith
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