Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are important because – although they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help prevent your house from major damages.
And it’s really much simpler than you might think.
Spotting a gutter leak early can protect the entire house. Here, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roofer) to determine if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are several signs that point to leaking gutters, even if you don’t actually notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your ground to decide if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it causes stress on the connectors. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the roofing may not cause a leak yet, but these things will ultimately result in issues. Getting these defects repaired is affordable than gutter replacement or any of the possible damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If rain is pooling around your house, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is 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 home can be very harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most obvious signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t overflowing, there is an unseen leak. These small leaks will occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits in starts to become a new area where water can escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as tightening them, but it could 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 tightened again. You can purchase this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially if it is consistently or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials adhere to the wet 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. water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters fixed, 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 storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on your roof, but you’re beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your porch 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 factored in when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to major repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a gutter leak may not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is usually an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that needs to be cleaned out. You can do this or hire a Leominster gutter cleaning company – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which will 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 easily take root in your gutter with minimal 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 your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Leominster 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 home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Some homeowners decide to do simple gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore 1-2 times each year to save some money.
However, any job beyond gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by calling a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like All Pro Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately determine the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are any repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time for gutter replacement, you can trust us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!