Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home investments, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help protect your home from major damages.
And it’s really a lot simpler than you might think.
Identifying a leaking gutter early can protect an entire home. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without calling a roof specialist) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are a lot of warning signs that indicate a gutter leak, even if you don’t physically see water dripping. You can do an inspection from the ground to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the roofing might not cause a leak just yet, but these things will certainly result in problems. Getting these defects fixed is affordable than replacing gutters or any of the damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling Water – If rain is puddling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is near your house, just in case.
Pooling water near your house can be really bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most obvious signs of gutter leaks is a drip, or several drips.
A drip from your gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom of the gutter and it isn’t overflowing, there is a hidden leak somewhere. These minor leaks can happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits starts to become a new area where water can get out if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as tightening them, but it can also be important to seal the hole so no water can escape from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially when it is consistently or frequently present. Dark water stains will appear because dirt and other materials adhere to the wet surface better than on a dry one.
Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after water stains. water stains can be cleaned and the gutters fixed, but if the gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on your roof, but you’re starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you could have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t be. They also go hand in hand with older building materials, so all of these factors need to be taken into account when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is usually an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a High Point gutter cleaning company – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which will also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there a while, you will start to see some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or puddling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.
Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your rain gutter with minimal debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these visible signs indicate there are issues with your gutter that have to be addressed immediately. By checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.
This is where a professional gutter service in High Point can be helpful. They can determine whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to extend the life of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do simple gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it it can be time-consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to take on the project a couple of times a year to save some money.
However, any job beyond basic gutter cleaning is best left to professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with good customer reviews like High Point Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are gutter repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time for gutter replacement, you can trust us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!