Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are very important because – while they are simple and inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, like 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 an entire house. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roof specialist) to determine if your gutters may be leaking.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are many signs that indicate leaking gutters, even if you don’t notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the lawn to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are present.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any section of them pulling away from the roofing may not be causing a leak yet, but will definitely cause problems. Getting these defects repaired is affordable than gutter replacement or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If water is pooling around your home, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is probably present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is close to your home, just to be sure.
Pooling water by your home can be very harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause windows to leak.
Drips – One of the more noticeable signs of gutter leaks is a drip, or several of them.
A drip from your gutter is likely 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 small leaks can occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working their way out of the gutters likely means a leak will start soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits in starts to become a new area where water can escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the answer is as simple as refastening them, but it can also be necessary to seal the hole so no more water can leak from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can purchase this sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially when it is constantly or frequently present. Dark water stains will 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 severe 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 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 top of your roof, but you’re starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you might have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t be. They also are related to aging 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 gutter issues, a leak might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty easy fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Burlington gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which can also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little while, you will start seeing 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 rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs indicate there are issues with your rain gutter that need to be addressed right away. By checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.
This is where a gutter service in Burlington can be helpful. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to extend the life of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Some homeowners decide to do simple gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is 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 simple gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with good customer reviews like Better Burlington Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly determine the problem. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are any repairs to be made, or if we think that it’s time for gutter replacement, 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!