There is a tendency, when homes or cabins are at alpine regions, to ignore the runoff water from the roof. That means, they do not bother installing gutters and downspouts. The argument against them, by those who do not install them, is that the gutters can be bent, damaged or torn off the home by accumulated snow and ice.
The other side of it is that, when no gutters are installed, rain runs off the roof to the soil below and then splashes up against the siding. Below is a photo of a gutter at an alpine home. Fact is, it was not snow that damaged this gutter. It was the accumulation of leaves and standing water -- weight. Take a look and you will see that it is actually drooping and pulling off the house. As a result of that water is now accumulating down behind the gutter at the wood trim. That will only get worse. Look to the left and you will see that the edge of the gutter, due to the droop, no longer has a counter flashing above it. Rain is traveling down behind, due to that gap. The 2nd photo below is typical of the fungal growth one sees when these mountain homes are assaulted by uncontrolled splash from the roof runoff water.
In this one case, the gutters just need repair and maintenance. At a lot of the places I see, they need to have gutters and downspouts installed as they are not in place at all. In my state, Washington, missing gutters is defined as a conducive condition that can lead to attracting wood destroying organisms. If you are in real estate, and live in an area with alpine homes and you are selling them, you can click here to get more information on some options for installing gutters and snow guards in locations prone to heavy snow.
Thanks for looking.
Steven L. Smith
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