Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are very important because – although they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, like the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help protect your home from major damages.
And it’s a lot easier than you might think.
Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect your entire home. Below, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roofer) to see if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are many warning signs that suggest a gutter leak, even if you don’t actually see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the ground to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the home, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home may not be causing a leak just yet, but these things will definitely lead to problems. Getting these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the potential damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If rain is pooling around your home, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is near your home, just in case.
Pooling water near your house can be especially harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most visible signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several of them.
A drip coming from your rain gutter could indicate 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 small leaks will occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws working 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 starts to become a new area where water can escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the answer is as simple as tightening them, but it could also be necessary to seal the hole so no more water can escape from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially if it is constantly or frequently there. Dark 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 water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if your gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a storm, and you haven’t had a tree limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re beginning to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, rotting wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you could have leaking gutters.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t be. They also are related to older building materials, so all of these factors need to be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not every gutter issue leads to major repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak may not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty simple fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Springfield gutter cleaning company – 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 will 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 rain gutter with minimal debris present. While it may be little now, a tree sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs indicate there are issues with your gutter that have to be addressed right away. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Springfield can be of great help. They can determine whether gutter replacement is required 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 decide to do basic gutter care, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it it can be time consuming and dangerous, they are eager to take on the project 1-2 times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Springfield Gutter Specialists. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly determine the problem. We offer free inspections for new customers.
If there are any gutter repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time for gutter replacement, 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!