Are gutters worth the investment and time?
By KAREN YOUSO, Star Tribune
Q My husband and I disagree over whether to have gutters installed on our house, which was built in 1996. I think they would help direct water away from our foundation. He says that since we have drain tiling on both sides of our foundation, there's no need to worry about water damage. I think he just doesn't want to add gutter-cleaning to his list of yard duties, but wouldn't that extra effort be worth preventing wet basements, mold and other damage to our house exterior?

A Yes. Absolutely add gutters to your house for all the reasons you state and more. Gutters collect roof runoff and downspouts direct it well away from the house. That's important because concrete in the foundation is porous and readily sucks moisture from surrounding soil. It may pass as water vapor or condense back into liquid, but either way it makes for a damp basement -- a wonderful place to grow mold.

Mold produces prodigious amounts of spores that are easily carried throughout your house. They will bloom and grow anywhere they land with a suitable environment -- say, the inside of a closet, attic or wall cavity.

So invest in gutters. And, when you do, get the type that don't need cleaning. You'll both be satisfied.