Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are really important because – although they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help prevent your house from damages.
And it’s a lot easier than you probably think.
Finding a leak in your gutters early can protect the entire house. Here, we’ve listed a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roofer) to determine if your gutters may be leaking.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are a number of warning signs that point to a gutter leak, even if you don’t physically notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your ground to decide if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the house, it stresses the connectors. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roofing may not be causing a leak yet, but will certainly cause problems. Getting these defects fixed is affordable than replacing gutters or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If rain is pooling around your house, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is close to your home, just to be careful.
Pooling water around your house can be very bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most obvious signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several drips.
A drip from your gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, there is a hidden leak somewhere. These tiny leaks will occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working 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 in becomes a new area where water can escape if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as tightening them, but it may also be necessary to seal the hole so no more water can leak from around the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially when it is constantly or frequently present. Darker water stains will appear because dirt and other organic debris adhere to the moist surface better than on a drier one.
Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters repaired, but if your gutters are rusty, they will definitely need to be repaired or be replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a 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 moldy 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 factors should be taken into account when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not every gutter issue leads to major repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a gutter leak may not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This issue 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 Pasco gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which can also 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 puddling – if you don’t get rid of it.
Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your gutter with little debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs mean 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 where a professional gutter service in Pasco can be helpful. They can determine whether gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Homeowners can decide to do simple gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to take on the chore 1-2 times a year to save some money.
However, anything beyond gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter specialist with excellent customer reviews like Prime Pasco Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately diagnose the problem. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are gutter repairs to be made, or if we think 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!