Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are very important because – while they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, like the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help prevent your house from damages.
And it’s much simpler than you probably think.
Spotting a gutter leak early can protect the entire house. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few signs that you can look for (without hiring a roofer) to determine if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
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 lawn to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here’s what to look for:
Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it causes stress on the connections. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, low quality materials, damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the house might not be causing a leak just yet, but will definitely create issues. Getting these defects fixed is much more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If rain is pooling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is near your home, just in case.
Pooling water by your home can be bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most visible signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several of them.
A drip from your gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom of the gutter and it isn’t overflowing, there is a hidden leak. These tiny leaks will happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws working their way out of the rain 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 starts to fall out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as tightening them, but it could also be important to cover the hole so no more water can escape from around the screw or the nail, even after it is tightened again. You can purchase this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially when it is consistently or frequently present. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other debris adhere 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 water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters can be repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or be replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a tree limb fall on your roof, but you’re beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, decaying 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 somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also are related to older building materials, so all of these factors should be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not every gutter issue leads to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is typically an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that needs to be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Concord gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or in your downspout, which will 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 pooling – if you don’t get rid of it.
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 strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs indicate there are issues with your rain gutter that must be addressed immediately. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is where a gutter service in Concord can be helpful. They can distinguish whether gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do simple gutter care and maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it it can be time consuming and dangerous, they are willing to take on the project 1-2 times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond simple gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with good customer reviews like The Concord Gutter Company. Then let us do an inspection to correctly determine the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are any 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!