A penny saved is…
While Ben Franklin’s quote on saving money is renowned, not all saved pennies may be well earned. For example, shortcuts are simply a way to save money and time. What they are most often not are a best practice. A shortcut is good for the one using the shortcut, not typically the one receiving the results of that time saver.
“Well done is better than well said.”
Pride in workmanship, pride in one’s work, are obvious. Slick tongued reasons are veiled excuses. Seeing the water damage on the side of this condo unit, I can’t help to wonder why it happened. Yes, I understand that cascading water over time will erode paint and rot wood. That is not why this damaged occurred. It happened because the contractor, either through ignorance, lack of pride or looking to save a few pennies omitted an important flashing detail.
Where a gutter abuts a wall like here, a diverter flashing is necessary to direct water into the gutter. An elegantly simple device constructed of aluminum or copper, and costing just pennies. The damage caused by the lack of this flashing, hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars.
What can’t be seen in the photo is the water stains below on the porch roof, indicating water has been running inside the wall. Or the gaping hole in the siding just above the gutter. How much actual damage exists will not be known until repairs are under taken. And let’s not forget this is a condo, this same condition is repeated throughout the entire complex.
Ben’s quote sums it up,
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”