Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are important because – although they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home components, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help protect your home from major damages.
And it’s really a lot easier than you probably think.
Finding a leak in your gutters early can protect your entire house. Here, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are a lot of warning signs that point to a leaking gutter, even if you don’t actually see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your ground to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, poor quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home may not cause a leak just yet, but these things will certainly lead to issues. Getting these defects repaired is affordable than installing new gutters or any of the possible damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling Water – If water is puddling around your home, 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 close to your house, just in case.
Pooling water by your home can be damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause your windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the more noticeable signs of gutter leaks is a drip, or several of them.
A drip coming 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 a hidden leak somewhere. These small leaks can happen if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws working 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 get out if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as tightening them, but it might also be important to cover the hole so no water can escape 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 – Moisture leaves behind evidence, especially if it is consistently or frequently present. Darker water stains will appear because dirt and other materials adhere to the wet surface better than it would a dry one.
Rust is the product of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters can be fixed, but if gutters are rusty, they will definitely need to be repaired or be replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on your roof, but you’re starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, rotting wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you might have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also are related to older building materials, so all factors should be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a gutter leak might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This issue is typically an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Commerce City gutter cleaning company – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your gutters or in your downspout, which can also 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 small now, a tree sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs indicate there are issues with your rain gutter that have to 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 Commerce City can be helpful. They can distinguish if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do simple gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it it can be time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are willing to take on the chore 1-2 times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by calling a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Commerce City Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately diagnose the problem. We offer free inspections for new customers.
If there are any gutter repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time to install new gutters, you can count on us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!