Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are important because – while they are simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home components, like the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help prevent your home from major damages.
And it’s really a lot easier than you might think.
Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect your entire house. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few signs that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are a number of warning signs that indicate leaking gutters, even if you don’t notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the ground to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here’s what to look for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the home, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, poor quality materials, damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any section of them pulling away from the house might not be causing a leak yet, but will definitely create issues. Getting these defects fixed is more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling Water – If water is puddling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. You should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your home, just in case.
Pooling water by your home can be really harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most obvious signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t overflowing, there is a hidden leak somewhere. These tiny leaks will occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits in starts to become a new area where water can get out if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as refastening them, but it can also be necessary to cover the hole so no water can escape from around the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can purchase this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially when it is constantly or frequently present. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris stick to the moist surface better than it would a drier one.
Rust is the product of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll see after water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they definitely have to be repaired or be 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 or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you might have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all of these factors need to be factored in when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to major repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a gutter leak may not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This issue is usually an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that needs to be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Huntington gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can build a nest in your rain gutters or in your downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little while, you will start to see some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of it.
Trees & Plants – A tree can easily take root in your rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs indicate there are issues with your rain gutter that have to be addressed right away. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is where a professional gutter service in Huntington can be of great help. They can distinguish if gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Some homeowners decide to do simple gutter care, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and dangerous, they are ready to complete the project 1-2 times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond gutter cleaning is best left to professionals.
Start by calling a gutter service with good customer reviews like Hometown Huntington Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly determine the issue. We offer free inspections for potential customers.
If there are repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time for gutter replacement, 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!