Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home assets, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help protect your home from damages.
And it’s really a lot simpler than you probably think.
Spotting a gutter leak 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 roofer) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are several warning signs that indicate a gutter leak, even if you don’t actually see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the lawn to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters start to pull away from the roof, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the home might not be causing a leak yet, but these things will certainly lead to problems. Getting these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than replacing gutters or any of the damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If water is pooling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your home, just to be careful.
Pooling water near your house can be especially bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause your windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most visible signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several of them.
A drip from your gutter is likely a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, there is an unseen leak. These tiny leaks can occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak is going to begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits in becomes a new area where water can get out if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as refastening them, but it could also be important to cover the hole so no water can leak from around the screw or the nail, even after it is back in place. You can purchase this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially if it is constantly or frequently there. Darker water stains will appear because dirt and other debris adhere to the moist surface better than it would a drier one.
Rust is the product of nearly constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll see after you see water stains. Most water stains can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they definitely need to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a storm, and you haven’t had a tree 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 mold on your window sills, you might have a gutter leak.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with older building materials, so all of these factors should be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a gutter leak may not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty simple fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this or hire a Roswell gutter cleaning service – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which can also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start seeing some of the above signs of a leak in a gutter – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of it.
Trees & Plants – A tree can easily take root in your gutter with little debris present. While it may be little now, a tree sapling will sprout really strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs indicate there are problems with your gutter that need to be addressed right away. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a professional gutter service in Roswell can be of great help. They can determine whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Homeowners can decide to do simple gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are eager to take on the project a couple of times each year to save some money.
However, any job beyond gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with good customer reviews like PRO Roswell Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately determine the problem. We offer free inspections for new customers.
If there are any repairs to be made, or if we think 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!