Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are really important because – although they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, like the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help protect your house from major damages.
And it’s much easier than you might think.
Finding a gutter leak early can protect your entire house. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few indicators that you can look for (without hiring a roofer) to see if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are a number of signs that point to 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 gutter leak are there.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the house, it stresses the connections. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, low-quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home may not cause a leak just yet, but will ultimately cause problems. 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 house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your home, just to be careful.
Pooling water near your home can be very damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the more noticeable signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming 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 small leaks can occur 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 hole where the nail or screw fits in becomes a new area where water can escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as refastening them, but it may 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 tightened again. You can buy this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially if it is consistently or frequently present. Dark water stains will appear because dirt and other organic debris stick to the wet surface better than on a dry one.
Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after water stains. Most water stains can be cleaned away and the gutters can be repaired, but if your gutters are rusty, they will definitely need 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 notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you might have a gutter leak.
These are all indications 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 taken into account when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not every gutter issue leads to major repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a gutter leak might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty easy fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Wilson gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or in your downspout, which can also 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 the nest.
Trees & Plants – A tree can easily take root in your rain gutter with little debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these visible signs indicate there are problems with your gutter that need to be addressed immediately. By checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Wilson can be helpful. They can determine if gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to extend the life of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Some homeowners choose to do basic gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are ready to take on the chore a couple of times a year to save a little money.
However, any job beyond basic gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter service with good customer reviews like Wilson Gutter Service. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately determine the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are gutter repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time to install new gutters, you can trust us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!