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 protect your home from damages.
And it’s a lot easier than you might think.
Finding a leaking gutter early can protect an entire house. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few signs that you can look for (without hiring a roof specialist) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are many warning signs that point to a leaking gutter, even if you don’t actually see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your ground to decide if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here’s what to look for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the roof, it stresses the connectors. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, poor quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the house might not cause a leak just yet, but these things will definitely result in issues. Having these defects repaired is affordable than installing new gutters or any of the damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If rain is puddling around your home, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your home, just in case.
Pooling water near your home can be really harmful to the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most visible signs of a leaking gutter is a drip or several drips.
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 somewhere. These small leaks will occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws working their way out of the gutters likely means a leak is going to start 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 may 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 tightened again. You can purchase this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves behind evidence, especially if it is constantly or frequently present. Darker water stains will appear because dirt and other materials stick to the moist surface better than on a dry one.
Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll see after you see water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if the gutters are rusty, they will definitely need to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on your roof, but you’re beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, decaying wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you might have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also are related to aging building materials, so all of these factors should be factored in 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 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 Kannapolis gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little while, 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 small now, a tree sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs indicate there are problems with your rain gutter that need to be addressed immediately. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a professional gutter service in Kannapolis can be of great help. They can distinguish if gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to extend the life of your gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Some homeowners decide to do simple gutter care, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it can be time-consuming and dangerous, they are willing to take on the chore 1-2 times each year to save a little money.
However, any job beyond basic gutter cleaning is best left to professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Ultra Clean Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are 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 right. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!