How the Modern Housing district was built, and what that means for gutters
After the First World War, General Motors couldn't hire enough workers for its Pontiac plant because there was nowhere for them to live. In 1919 the company set up the Modern Housing Corporation and platted a 61-acre tract on the city's north side, roughly bounded by Montcalm, Perry, Joslyn, Gage, Glenwood and Nelson. More than 80 percent of the lots had houses by 1923, and the neighborhood was substantially complete by 1926.
The houses were designed as a set. All but 12 of the 261 were built from 16 standard patterns, in Colonial Revival and Bungalow or Craftsman styles, with variations in porches and dormers. They're 1 to 2 stories with 2 to 4 bedrooms, on standard lots of 50 by 100 feet.
Walls are clapboard, wood shingle, stucco or brick, and many 2-story houses use a different material on each floor. The most common pattern is a 2-story Colonial Revival with a stuccoed first floor, wood shingles above, a gambrel roof with its gable end facing the street, and a wide dormer on each side.
That shared design means the same gutter issues repeat from house to house.
Gambrel roofs with wide dormers
On the common gambrel pattern, the gutters run down the 2 long sides of the house. The steep lower roof slope delivers water quickly.
The wide dormers break up the roof, so part of each side drains off the dormer roof and part off the main roof beside it. The gutter line has to be planned around the dormer, and drip edge has to be right or water runs behind.
50-foot lots
Houses sit close together. A downspout that empties into the side yard is putting water against 2 foundations, yours and your neighbor's.
Discharge needs to be directed to the front or back of the lot. Our downspouts and drainage page covers extensions and buried lines.
Stucco and shingle walls
A gutter that leaks or overflows shows up fast on stucco as dark streaks and, in time, cracks and loose patches where water gets behind it. Wood shingle siding on the second floor rots where it stays wet. Keeping the gutters tight and the corners sealed protects the walls as much as the foundation.
Gutter services Modern Housing homeowners ask for
- Replacement of worn-out gutters. See seamless gutter installation for sizes and profiles. Because these houses follow a small number of patterns, a layout that works on one usually works on its twins down the street.
- Gutter repair: resealing corners, rehanging runs pulled loose by ice, and correcting slope.
- Fascia and soffit repair. The trim on these homes is about 100 years old, and it's often soft behind an old gutter.
- Gutter cleaning in spring and late fall.
- Porch gutters. Front porches vary by pattern and often have no gutter at all, which sends water onto the steps.
Historic district review in Modern Housing
The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and is one of Pontiac's local historic districts. The city's Historic District Commission reviews exterior work in local districts and issues a Certificate of Appropriateness before a building permit can be applied for.
Before you change the look of the gutters (profile, color, or where downspouts run on the street side), ask the city's planning office what your project needs. We can provide the details for an application.
How service works for Modern Housing addresses
Call and tell us which style of house you have (gambrel, bungalow, or another pattern) and what the gutters are doing. We inspect the roof edge, the wood and the way the lot drains, and give you a price before work starts. If a section is hanging or water is coming inside, call any hour for emergency gutter repair.
Modern Housing is a short drive from our Voorheis Street shop and is covered by the same gutter installers in Pontiac, MI who handle the rest of the city. We also work nearby on Fairgrove Avenue, and on the 1920s workers' houses of Indian Village, which were built in the same years.
Modern Housing gutter questions
How do you gutter a gambrel roof?
A gambrel has a shallow upper slope and a very steep lower slope. Water picks up speed on the lower slope and can overshoot a small gutter in a hard rain. We hang the gutter so its front edge sits correctly under the roof line, check that drip edge is in place, and use a 6-inch gutter where the roof plane is large.
Where can my downspouts drain on a 50-foot lot?
Toward the front or rear yard, on your own lot. With houses close together, side-yard downspouts are usually turned to run along the house to the front or back, or piped underground to a spot where the water can spread out on your own lot.
Is the Modern Housing district a historic district?
Yes. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of Pontiac's local historic districts.
The city's Historic District Commission reviews exterior work in local districts and issues a Certificate of Appropriateness before a building permit can be applied for. Check with the city's planning office before changing gutter style, material or color.
Will downspout straps damage my stucco?
Not if they're fastened properly. Straps should be anchored into solid backing with the right fastener and sealed. A loose downspout that bangs in the wind does far more damage than a correctly anchored one.