Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are really important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home components, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to prevent your house from major damages.
And it’s much simpler than you probably think.
Finding a gutter leak early can protect an entire home. Here, we’ve provided a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without calling a roofer) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are several signs that suggest a leaking gutter, even if you don’t actually see 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 keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the house, it stresses the connectors. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roofing might not be causing a leak yet, but will ultimately cause issues. Getting these defects repaired is affordable than replacing gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If rain is puddling 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 near your home, just in case.
Pooling water around your house can be especially bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most obvious signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several of them.
A drip coming from your rain gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom of the gutter and it isn’t a big overflow, there is a hidden leak somewhere. These minor leaks can happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws working their way out of the gutters 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 escape if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the answer is as easy as tightening them, but it could also be necessary to seal the hole so no water can escape from around the screw or the nail, even after it is tightened again. You can buy this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially when it is consistently or frequently there. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials stick to the wet surface better than on a drier one.
Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after you see water stains. water stains can be cleaned away and the gutters can be repaired, but if the gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a tree limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or moldy window sills, you may 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 older building materials, so all 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 might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This issue is typically an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this or hire a Clifton gutter cleaning service – 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 cause overflow. Once the nest has been there a while, you will start to see some of the above signs of a leak in a gutter – 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 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 mean there are problems with your gutter that must be addressed immediately. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.
This is where a professional gutter service in Clifton can be helpful. They can determine whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do basic gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time-consuming and dangerous, they are ready to take on the chore a couple of times a year to save some money.
However, any job beyond simple gutter cleaning should be left to professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Clifton Gutter Solutions. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly determine the problem. We offer free inspections for potential customers.
If there are repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time for gutter replacement, you can trust us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!