Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home investments, like the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to protect your house from damages.
And it’s really a lot simpler than you probably think.
Finding a leak in your gutters early can protect the entire home. Below, we’ve provided a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roofer) to see if your gutters are leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are a lot of warning signs that indicate a leaking gutter, even if you don’t physically notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your lawn to decide if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the home, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the house might not be causing a leak yet, but will certainly create problems. Having these defects fixed is affordable than gutter replacement or any of the damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If water is pooling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your house, just to be careful.
Pooling water by your home can be damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the more noticeable signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several of them.
A drip from your 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. 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 gutters likely means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits becomes a new area where water can get out if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the answer is as easy as refastening them, but it could also be necessary to cover the hole so no more water can escape from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially when it is constantly or frequently there. Darker water stains will appear because dirt and other materials adhere to the moist surface better than on a drier one.
Rust is the product of nearly constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after you see water stains. water stains can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if the gutters are rusty, they definitely need to be repaired or be replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you could have a gutter leak.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t be. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all factors need to be taken into account when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak may not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that needs to be removed. You can do this or hire a Hammond gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can quickly build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which will also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little 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 gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be little now, a tree sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these visible signs mean there are problems with your rain gutter that must be addressed immediately. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Hammond can be of great help. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to extend the lifetime of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do basic gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to take on the chore a couple of times a year to save a little money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter specialist with excellent customer reviews like Hammond Gutters & More!. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately determine the issue. We offer free inspections for potential customers.
If there are any gutter repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time to install new gutters, you can count on us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!