Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home components, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help protect your home from damages.
And it’s much easier than you might think.
Identifying a leaking gutter early can protect the entire home. Here, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can look for (without calling a roof specialist) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are many signs that suggest a leaking gutter, even if you don’t actually see water dripping. You can do an inspection from the ground to decide if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here are some things to look for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the home, it causes stress on the connections. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, low quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home may not be causing a leak just yet, but these things will ultimately result in issues. Getting these defects fixed is more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling Water – If water is puddling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your home, just to be sure.
Pooling water by your home can be very harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most obvious signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming 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 working their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak will start soon, if it hasn’t already. The area 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 answer is as simple as tightening them, but it could also be important to cover the hole so no more water can leak from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is tightened again. You can purchase this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially if it is consistently or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials stick 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 on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters can be fixed, but if your gutters are rusty, they definitely have to be repaired or be 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 starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you may have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. They also are related to older building materials, so all of these factors should be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not every gutter issue leads 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 easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that has to be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Revere gutter cleaning service – or even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your gutters or in your downspout, which can also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start to see 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 take root in your gutter with small amounts of 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 have to be addressed right away. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is where a professional gutter service in Revere can be of great help. They can distinguish if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to extend 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, on their own. Although it it can be time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are willing to take on the project a couple of times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter service with good customer reviews like Revere Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately diagnose the problem. We offer free inspections for potential 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 will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!