Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are really important because – although they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home assets, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to prevent your home from major damages.
And it’s a lot simpler than you probably think.
Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect your entire home. Here, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can look for (without hiring a roof specialist) to determine if your gutters may be leaking.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are a lot of signs that indicate leaking gutters, even if you don’t notice water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your lawn to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here’s what to look for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, low quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home may not be causing a leak yet, but will certainly create issues. Getting these defects repaired is affordable than replacing gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If water is pooling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your house, just in case.
Pooling water by your house can be damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most visible 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 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 on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws wiggling their way out of the gutters likely means a leak is going to 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 answer is as simple as refastening them, but it may also be necessary to cover the hole so no more water can leak from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially when it is constantly or frequently present. Darker water stains will appear because dirt and other debris adhere to the moist surface better than on a dry one.
Rust is the product of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after water stains. water stains can be cleaned away and the gutters can be fixed, but if the gutters are rusty, they definitely have to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a severe 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 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 somewhere it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all of these factors should 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 might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is typically an easy fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Rock Hill gutter cleaning service – 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 rain gutters or in your downspout, which will cause overflow. Once the nest has been there a 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 rain gutter with minimal debris present. While it may be small now, a tree sapling will sprout strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these visible signs indicate there are problems with your rain gutter that have to be addressed immediately. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Rock Hill can be of great help. They can determine if 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 all that’s needed.
Homeowners can decide to do basic gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to complete the project a couple of times a year to save a little money.
However, anything beyond gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by calling a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Rock Hill Gutter Service. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly determine the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are 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 can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!