Here's How Mike Holmes Really Feels About Homes Without Gutters Installed (& What He Suggests)

Rain gutters and downspouts are a pretty common sight on roofs, and they can be a big source of annoyance for homeowners. These gutters can get clogged by debris and bird nests, require extra maintenance, and could even pull away from the roof entirely — warranting repairs. Once in a while, a home bucks this trend and goes gutterless, yet the world doesn't stop spinning. This might make you wonder just how important rain gutters are for your home, and if you would be just fine without them. Well, according to HGTV Star, Mike Holmes, "That's pretty foolish." Those were his words, not ours. The Canadian host of shows like "Holmes Inspection" and "Homes on Holmes" definitely knows his stuff when it comes to home renovation, so if he's not a fan, then you're doing something wrong.

Mike usually has some helpful tips to share, like his top recommendations for a kitchen remodel, and his suggestion when it comes to rain gutters is for you to install them. You need gutters around your roof and downspouts to lead the water away from your home. This not only prevents water from pooling around your home, but also prevents the rainwater from hitting the ground with all its force, reducing its erosion-causing impact. You can go further by installing splash blocks to sit under your downspouts to disperse the water even more.

Without a gutter, when it rains, the water comes down your roof and hits the ground right beside your home. This water can pool around your house and loosen the soil, even putting holes in the ground around your home. If left alone, this moisture can seep into your basement and crawl space and eventually damage your foundation. This can cause cracks and threaten the stability of your home.

Your foundation isn't the only thing that is protected by the rain gutters. Without rain gutters to safely channel water away from your home, water can stand on your roof, damaging it over time. The rainwater can also drip from your roof down the exterior of your home, damaging your sidings, windows, and doors. This moisture could cause mold and mildew to grow on those places where the rainwater drips, which can be a pain to remove later.

Heavy rainfall can also run off into your yard and cause erosion. Unless you have some ground cover for natural erosion control, this can damage your entire landscape. A lack of gutters also gives your house a messy look, as it would splash dirt over your siding and chip away at your paint.

Mike Holmes got this exact question from a fan, and his answer was, "It doesn't cost a lot of money. Please, do it." That might sound harsh, but it isn't. When a home isn't built with rain gutters, it is only a matter of time before you start seeing all the downsides of the water dripping down your walls. Rain gutter installation on your roof can cost between $1,378 and $6,500, which is nothing to sneeze at for most of us. However, it doesn't compare to the amount you'll have to cough up to fix your foundation. We're talking from $2,200 to $30,000. That's an eye-watering amount. The prudent option would be to install rain gutters and prevent these damages in the first place.

Once you've decided to get rain gutters, you should know how to choose the right type of gutter for your roof. These gutters come in different materials, from vinyl (the cheapest) to copper (the most expensive). If you're on a budget, vinyl may be for you, but if you want something durable, copper will do the trick. Also, for some extra money, you can go for seamless gutters over ones with sectional components, as they are less prone to leaks and last longer. You can call in professionals for your gutter and downspout installation, or you could slap on your DIY gloves. It would be cheaper as a DIY project, but if you're inexperienced, you might want to leave it to the professionals.