Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are important because – although they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home components, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help prevent your home from major damages.
And it’s really much simpler than you probably think.
Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect your entire house. Here, we’ve provided a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without calling a roof specialist) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are many signs that suggest a leaking gutter, even if you don’t physically notice water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the lawn to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the roof, it stresses the connectors. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, poor quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any section of them pulling away from the home may not be causing a leak yet, but these things will certainly lead to issues. Getting these defects repaired is much more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If water is puddling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is near your home, just to be careful.
Pooling water around your house can be really damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause your windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the more noticeable signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several drips.
A drip from your rain gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom of the gutter and it isn’t overflowing, there is an unseen leak. These small leaks can occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working their way out of the gutters means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits becomes a new area where water can escape if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as tightening them, but it can also be important to cover the hole so no more water can escape from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially when it is constantly or frequently there. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other debris stick to the wet surface better than on a dry one.
Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after water stains. water stains can be cleaned and the gutters repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you might have leaking gutters.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t. They also are related to aging building materials, so all factors should be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to major repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak may not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is typically an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Springfield gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your gutters or in your downspout, which will cause overflow. Once the nest has been there a while, you will start seeing 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 easily take root in your gutter with little debris present. While it may be small now, a tree sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs mean there are issues with your rain gutter that must be addressed right away. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a professional gutter service in Springfield can be of great help. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do simple gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and dangerous, they are ready to complete the chore a couple of times each year to save a little money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Good Gutters Inc.. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately diagnose the problem. We offer free inspections for potential customers.
If there are any gutter repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time to install new gutters, you can trust us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!