Eaves troughs may not be necessary if drainage is good

Q. My house is located on a hill and drainage is good. We have never had water in the basement. Eaves troughs are leaf, dirt, and winged-seed traps. Thus , is it necessary to have them on the house? I am unable to climb a ladder twice a year to clean out the gutters. Joseph W. Schwager Watertown, Wis.

A. It appears as though eaves troughs at your house would be both unnecessary and burdensome.

Were your basement leaking during heavy rains, then eaves troughs might be helpful, but then only if the basement leaks continued after grading around the foundation wall forced the rain water to run off quickly.

In the event the basement might leak in the future, cover the walls with an interior masonry waterproofing material, such as Sealwall, or equal. Sealwall is a cementious paint and is usually a two-coat process which is applied to the basement walls to waterproof them.