Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are important because – while they are simple and inexpensive – they protect more valuable home components, such as 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 probably think.
Identifying a gutter leak early can protect the entire house. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few signs that you can look for (without calling a roof specialist) to determine if your gutters are leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are many signs that indicate a leaking gutter, even if you don’t physically notice water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your ground to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters start to pull away from the home, it stresses the connectors. Cracks can be the result of faulty installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the home may not cause a leak yet, but will definitely result in problems. Having these defects fixed is a lot more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If water is pooling 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 close to your home, just in case.
Pooling water by your house can be damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the more noticeable signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several of them.
A drip from your gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, there is an unseen leak. These minor leaks will occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak is going to start soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits starts to become a new area where water can get out if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as tightening them, but it might also be necessary to seal the hole so no more water can leak from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves behind evidence, especially when it is constantly or frequently present. Dark 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 nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll see after you see water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters repaired, but if the gutters are rusty, they definitely need to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a 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, rotting wood on your patio or deck, or mold on your 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 are related to aging building materials, so all of these factors need to be factored in 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 one is a pretty easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that needs to be cleaned out. You can do this or hire a Mount Vernon gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which can also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start to see some of the above signs of leaks – 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 small now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs indicate there are problems with your gutter that have to be addressed immediately. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a professional gutter service in Mount Vernon can be of great help. They can determine whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Some homeowners choose to do simple gutter care, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are willing to take on the chore a couple of times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond simple gutter cleaning should be left to professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter service with good customer reviews like ABC Gutter Solutions. Then let us do an inspection to correctly diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are any repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time for gutter replacement, 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!