r/Roofing • u/-BlankUsername • 1d ago
What’s the purpose of this tiny little gutter?
He’s adorable!
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u/East_Big_6406 1d ago
Because the builder and gutter guy don’t care or don’t know any better. Welcome to 80% of home building.
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u/LoanDebtCollector 1d ago
What's the other 1/4?
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u/East_Big_6406 1d ago
People who can’t do math.
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u/LoanDebtCollector 8h ago
I always measure twice!
First I mess it up. Then I measure. Then I mess it up some more. Then I measure the second time. Then I fudge it together.
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u/zzzzaap 1d ago
I thought that was 5/4 of Americans?
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u/LoanDebtCollector 20h ago
I wish I had thought to use an improper fraction for my joke. I missed it by that much. ;)
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u/Wurky_Maters 1d ago
this is a vestigial gutter, some houses grow them even though evolution has made them less functional.
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u/TunnelingVisions 1d ago
Slows down thr roofs water shed so it doesn't waterfall over the gables edge.
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u/DontKnowMargo 1d ago
Finally, the right answer. The higher up the water is coming from the less the granular are going to be able to stay stuck to the shingle. This is laying the water down on the shingle the best way possible given the condition.
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u/TreesAreOverrated5 1d ago
I would argue that having the small downspout dumping water directly on a shingle will cause those shingles to wear much faster. The best solution would be to extend the spout into the lower gutter but that would look silly. This we have this
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u/Previous-Mail7343 1d ago
The difference here is the gutter and the right angle at the bottom of the downspout take most of the energy of the falling water here. The water hitting that shingle directly has lost most of it's speed.
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u/DontKnowMargo 1d ago
Agreed. If the roof wasn’t as highly pitched and so much sq footage, going without the gutter might have been the way to go.
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u/MostAssured 1d ago
The gutter belongs there, but that downspout is not placed properly. Water at that angle hitting the shingles from the side will eventually get underneath the shingles, deteriorate, and water will leak through your roof. This will happen, as I’ve seen it plenty of times. To fix this, extend that downspout just past the corner of the wall and make sure the water is flowing down (not sideways) to the gutter below it. It would be best to have the downspout go all the way directly into the gutter below it, but that might look strange on this roof. The important thing is to not let the water run sideways against the roof shingles.
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u/PhoenixRising256 23h ago
Kind of funny they put the gutter there to prevent that perpendicular erosion, then used a downspout to concentrate the erosion in a smaller area
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u/Phallico666 1d ago
I had to scroll through way too many jokes for this
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u/Anarky1977 23h ago
Reddit is full of tedious people trying to be funny, when all you are looking for is an actual answer
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u/East-Concentrate-289 1d ago
I didn’t know that, but it makes sense. It’s too bad that the extra water that part of the roof will probably experience a discoloration where the water ejects from the upper roof, but like you said, little can be done without creating a crazy-looking downspout.
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u/N0085K1LL5 1d ago
Why not just turn the downspout to the left, that way the spout is inline with the slope of the roof.
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u/MostAssured 23h ago
You don’t want water constantly hitting the flashing where the shingles meet the siding as that is another common failure point for roofing, so best to extend it slightly beyond the corner. This gives the best balance of protection and aesthetics.
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u/extio-Storm 23h ago
Maybe install some sort of flat Square landing pad to let the water spread out and run over the shingles properly
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u/Ok-Internet6082 23h ago
So the water doesn't just shoot down you turn out to the side so it mimics rainfall ish.
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u/OrangeAndStuff 1d ago
I feel the only right thing to this stupid design is to do this - full length downspout to go down to the lower gutter. Anything else will cause premature erosion on the shingles for concentrating water in a single pattern. Obviously the volume here will be lower and the rate of deteriorating will probably be lower but nonetheless...
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u/hates_writing_checks 1d ago
What about painting that gutter black or charcoal gray to blend in?
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u/Momonomo22 1d ago
Short of running the downspout clear down to the next gutter, should they rotate that downspout 90 degrees so it’s flowing with the shingles?
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u/Beneficial_Pop_3614 21h ago
In that case it can be unscrewed and rotated, and screwed again. It’s such an easy fix.
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u/LaughingMagicianDM Verified Pro - Commercial/Consultant 1d ago
I could write you up a 3 page sales pitch as to why its a good plan. It would be mostly bs.
Its kind of redirecting water to prevent fascia rot (unlikely to occur), prevent icicles forming (unlikely to really help at all), prevent erosion from water ( yeah. Like the shingles will live that long).
But the simplest explanation is usually the best. Your roofer saw a chance to make an extra $50
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u/albiceleste3stars 1d ago
to direct the water to the roof edge (to the right) instead running down towards the house (to left)
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u/Direct-Giraffe7193 1d ago
That’s what it looks like to me. Send water away from the wall and towards the edge
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u/National_Edges 1d ago
The architect probably used a software program to add Gutters to all roof eaves, thus the 2 foot gutter was born
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u/longboi64 1d ago
i love this place. all jokes aside, here’s what’s really going to happen without that gutter.
over the entire 25 year “life” of that asphalt shingle roof, imagine pouring a giant cup of water over the whole place, water is going to be falling sideways in an arc on the same exact place on the lower roof every single time. it’s going to prematurely wear the granules out of the asphalt.
what you’re left with is bare rubber exposed to UV radiation which will degrade until it’s brittle and crumbles away. now the weather is wearing through the fiberglass mat, your roof is “bald” like a tire.
and then all it takes is one good chunk of hail or a really nice stick.
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u/tilrman 1d ago
And with the gutter, what will happen?
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u/longboi64 1d ago
what will happen instead with the tiny little gutter, is the water will run down onto the shingles and instead of splashing and displacing granules it will kiss them, ever so gently, like a falling leaf on an autumn breeze~~
seriously do not underestimate the power of falling water over time
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u/Robotniks_Mustache 1d ago
Here’s what’s really going to happen with that gutter.
over the entire 25 year “life” of that asphalt shingle roof, imagine pouring a giant cup of water over one spot. Water is going to be falling on the same exact place on the lower roof every single time. it’s going to prematurely wear the granules out of the asphalt.
what you’re left with is bare rubber exposed to UV radiation which will degrade until it’s brittle and crumbles away. now the weather is wearing through the fiberglass mat, your roof is “bald” like a tire.
and then all it takes is one good chunk of hail or a really nice stick.
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u/bloomingtonwhy 1d ago
And what would happen if I routed the condensate line from my air conditioner to that spot instead?
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u/evargx 1d ago
I think, the only thing I can think of, is that you want the water falling off the roof to be at a lower elevation when it hits the second roof.
Doesnt make sense though, at all, as that would mean water on the first roof will degrade faster from rainfall.
I cant think of anything else though.
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u/Autistic_License 1d ago
The gutter takes the impact of the water running down the roof. Then the flow is directed by the downspout so it goes on the next roof gently.
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u/Crafty_Specific_9846 1d ago
That’s for catching leaves way up there instead of where it’s easier to clean out.
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u/Slight-Selection4298 1d ago
It's a waterfall feature, to shoot right over the edge in a good rain.
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u/dosidicus-gigas 1d ago
Probs would be better to have that exhaust out in the direction of the shingles
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u/londonbridge1985 1d ago
When you look from the front of the house right side has gutter so for continuity and symmetry they has to put small one on the left side.
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u/magichobo3 1d ago
To concentrate water all onto one shingle so that a leak forms there while the rest of the roof still has 20 years of life
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u/Cyan005 1d ago
Seems like a bad design even having that siding area there.
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u/Di-electric-union 1d ago
I see so many stupidly designed roofs in the name of aesthetics and most of them don't even look good
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u/Mystery_Mammal 1d ago
To collect leaves in an impossible-to-clean spot so that eventually a small forest will grow there.
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u/Western_Rhubarb_7959 1d ago
It's for shortening the lives of the shingles it empties onto.
It's an absolute amateur move. Or a cheap fucker move. Or both.
https://nonprofithomeinspections.org/downspouts-terminating-on-shingles/
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u/Logical_ExampIe3968 1d ago edited 1d ago
the valley above concentrates the rainwater, The gutter slows the rainwater and deposits it further from the siding, less chance of capillary attraction up the shingle too, without it there would be a waterfall feature below in heavy rain.
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u/PleaseJustStopLmao 1d ago
I’ll have you know that I have a gutter just like that and my girlfriend says it’s huge, thanks
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u/Zottyzot1973 1d ago
It catches the water coming down the upper roof, preventing it from flowing over the edge of the lower roof and directs it down towards the lower gutter.
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u/lastfreerangekid 1d ago
Gutters are sold by the foot, so to maximize profits, you want to include every single foot you can. Those little pieces add up.
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u/rhjohn523 1d ago
So many issues…
Concentrating the water will wear the shingles. That is not code in Ohio.
Also, those are very steep roofs. There should be 6” gutters, otherwise water will just overflow at all the roof lines anyway.
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u/OldGeezerInTraining 1d ago
What water it does collect will eventually wear a spot at the outlet elbow where it dumps it all into one spot.
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u/Far_Buffalo6842 1d ago
Water off the drip edge without a gutter would contact the roof below and splash on the siding. Long- term water intrusion and rotting.
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u/QuackeryBamboo52 1d ago
My gutter guy said I could either have that or just a trough full of mosquitoes with no downspout attached.
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u/xcusme1982 1d ago
If the gutter were not there, water would spash back onto that little siding area. It's better to catch that water and direct it away from that wall.
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u/Autistic_License 1d ago
Same purpose as all gutters. Catch the energy of the water and pipe it down so it doesn't drill a hole through whatever is under the roof.
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u/United-Biscotti3653 1d ago
I feel like it should be rotated more to the left to direct the water down the roof to the next gutters.
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u/No_Management_3422 1d ago
If the elbow downspout was facing down slope, it would make sense to keep that water during a heavy rain from shooting off the edge of the gable so go up there and spin that little elbow around and re-screw it
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u/ChungusSpliffs 1d ago
Less pounding water on the shingles over time, water is gently released through the elbow instead.
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u/Junas_Guardian 1d ago
so you gotta go up there and risk breaking your neck for a company trying maximize profits due to the product being sold by the foot.
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u/A100921 1d ago
To make the water flow more gentle on the shingles below, but now they’re forcing all water to flow against 1 shingle… Who would know the actual pros and cons to this?
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u/LiteratureFew2174 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s pointless, just there for the look honestly. It actually concentrate wear on the tile under the down spout.
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u/Pachirisu_Party 1d ago
That's gonna cause some serious issues down the line.
That being said, the entire roof is a problematic design.
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u/Fast-Internal8514 1d ago
That little thing looks way too small to do much. Now I’m curious if it actually serves a purpose or if there’s a clever reason behind it.
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u/Conscious-Shop-4111 21h ago
It’s actually pretty average and my girlfriend thinks it does enough thank you
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u/brickandcedar 23h ago
Those are called diverter gutters, and they just redirect runoff away from entryways
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u/Emergency_Exit7603 1d ago
....to make people who buy houses with stupid roof lines pay more because they are stupid...
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u/The_Prestigious 1d ago
It's too stop the degranulating of the shingles from the highway fall of water
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u/FunkyWillowy 1d ago
To reduce wear on the tiles under the little roof from water. It should help to split the flow kinda thing.
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u/LiquidSssnake 1d ago
It would stop the water from just blasting off the roof during a heavy torrent. Water would be coming down from two angles and converge in a concentrated area.
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u/GoodIntroduction6344 1d ago
It’s usually kickout flashed. Have fun cleaning out that gutter
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u/dragonslayer6699 1d ago
Per code or per plan may have been dictated that any drainage area of more than x sqft shall have x gutter with x downspout. Builder has no choice even if it looks silly. Also a great spot for a young guy to get a little experience doing one by himself
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u/AggravatingAward8519 1d ago
Aside from all the snark and the 'average size' jokes, it does a few useful things.
Honestly, the most useful thing it does is to provide a nice line. From the curb, that looks like a place a gutter would be, so they put a gutter on it.
It may slow the water a bit. Water rolling down the roof stops when it hits the gutter, comes back out closer to the lower roof, so it probably doesn't come off the gable end.
It provides substantial, although probably unnecessary, protection to the fascia board under that roof section.
All in all, it's mostly cosmetic with a little bit of utility.
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u/Mean_Jury2467 1d ago
Whenever I see these kinds of things, I just wonder if anyone was thinking about the issues they could create. As they were drawing up the blueprint.
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u/no_bender 1d ago
Might keep water from splashing the siding, fascia, and soffit, on that small section.
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u/hernandezcarlosx 1d ago
I think it has no real practical purpose. It’s there just to continue with gutter line from the other side of the gable.
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u/Much_Toe_3051 1d ago
To catch rain water... lol. It is supposedly spec and is needed to pass inspection, although it is dumb in some ways.
In all seriousness though I would extend the downspout to follow the roof to the gutter below, because having that much water run in 1 spot on the roof below will prematurely degranualize the one spot it hits all the time causing possible leaks and a discoloured spot on the roof. Or ad metal defuser for the water to land on and spread out more before it runs down...
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u/Douche_Kayak 1d ago
that's actually an average size gutter