Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are important because – while they are simple and inexpensive – they protect more valuable home investments, like the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to protect your home from damages.
And it’s much simpler than you might think.
Finding a gutter leak early can protect the entire home. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without calling a roofer) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are a number of warning signs that indicate a gutter leak, even if you don’t actually 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 look for:
Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, 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 or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roof may not cause a leak just yet, but will certainly create problems. Having these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the potential damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling Water – If rain is pooling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is close to your house, just to be sure.
Pooling water around your house can be bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most visible signs of gutter leaks 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 an unseen leak. These minor leaks will occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the gutters likely 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 get out if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as refastening them, but it may also be important to cover the hole so no more water can escape from around 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 appear because dirt and other organic materials stick to the moist surface better than it would a drier one.
Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll see after water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or be replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a storm, and you haven’t had a tree limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or moldy window sills, you could have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also are related to aging building materials, so all 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 gutter issues, a leak might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is typically an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that needs to be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Beaver Creek gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your rain gutters or in your downspout, which can 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 pooling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.
Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your gutter with little debris present. While it may be little now, a tree sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs mean there are problems with your rain gutter that need to be addressed immediately. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a professional gutter service in Beaver Creek can be of great help. They can determine whether gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your home’s 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 it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are willing to complete the chore a couple of times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning should be left to professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Better Beaver Creek 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 to install new gutters, 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!