Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to prevent your house from major damages.
And it’s really a lot easier than you probably think.
Spotting a leaking gutter early can protect the entire house. Here, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roof specialist) to determine if your gutters are leaking.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are a lot of warning signs that indicate a leaking gutter, even if you don’t physically see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the ground to decide if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the home, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, poor quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any section of them pulling away from the home may not cause a leak just yet, but these things will certainly create issues. Having these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the potential damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If water is puddling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. But you should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is close to your home, just in case.
Pooling water near your house can be damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause windows to leak.
Drips – One of the more noticeable signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t overflowing, there is a hidden 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 likely means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits becomes 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 water can escape from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is tightened again. You can buy this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially when it is constantly or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials stick to the wet surface better than it would a drier one.
Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after you see water stains. water stains can be cleaned and the gutters can be fixed, but if gutters are rusty, they will definitely need to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or moldy window sills, you may have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all factors need to be taken into account when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to home repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a leak might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This issue is usually an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that needs to be removed. You can do this or hire a Cherry Hill gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk 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 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 take root in your gutter with little debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout really strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs indicate there are problems with your gutter that must be addressed right away. By checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Cherry Hill can be helpful. They can determine whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Homeowners can decide to do simple gutter care and maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time-consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are willing to complete the project 1-2 times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning is best left to professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like Cherry Hill Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly diagnose 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 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!