Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect more valuable home investments, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help prevent your house from major damages.
And it’s really a lot simpler than you probably think.
Identifying a gutter leak early can protect an entire house. Below, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roof specialist) to determine if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are a number of signs that suggest a gutter leak, even if you don’t actually notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the 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 home, it causes stress on the connections. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, low quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home may not be causing a leak just yet, but will definitely create problems. Getting these defects fixed is more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If rain is puddling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your home, just to be sure.
Pooling water around your house can be really 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 and it isn’t overflowing, there is an unseen leak somewhere. These minor leaks can occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the gutters 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 works its way out.
Sometimes the answer is as easy as refastening them, but it might also be important to cover the hole so no more water can leak from around 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 behind evidence, especially if it is constantly or frequently present. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris adhere to the moist surface better than it would a drier one.
Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll see after you see water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if your gutters are rusty, they 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 your roof, but you’re beginning to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, rotting wood on your patio or deck, or mold on your window sills, you could have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t be. They also are related to aging 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 leak might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Freeport gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which can also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start seeing some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.
Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your 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 easy-to-see signs indicate there are issues with your rain gutter that need to be addressed right away. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Freeport can be of great help. They can distinguish whether gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to extend the lifetime of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Some homeowners choose to do basic gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore a couple of times a year to save some money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning should be left to professionals.
Start by calling a gutter service with good customer reviews like Freeport Gutter Force. Then let us do an inspection to accurately diagnose the problem. We offer free inspections for potential customers.
If there are any gutter repairs to be made, or if we think that it’s time to install new gutters, you can trust us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!