Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, like the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to protect your home from major damages.
And it’s much simpler than you probably think.
Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect the entire home. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without calling a roof specialist) to see if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are a number of warning signs that suggest leaking gutters, 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 leaking gutter are present.
Here’s what to look for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the house, it stresses the connectors. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home might not cause a leak yet, but will certainly result in issues. Having these defects fixed is affordable than replacing gutters or any of the damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling Water – If water is puddling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is near your house, just to be sure.
Pooling water near 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 obvious signs of gutter leaks is a drip, or several drips.
A drip from your rain gutter indicates 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 become loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits 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 tightening them, but it might also be important to cover the hole so no water can leak from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is tightened again. You can buy this sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially if it is constantly or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris stick to the wet surface better than on a dry one.
Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after water stains. Most water stains can be cleaned away and the gutters can be fixed, but if the gutters are rusty, they will definitely need to be repaired or be replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you could have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all factors should be taken into account when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to major repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is usually an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that needs to be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Kalamazoo gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your gutters or in your downspout, which can also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start to see some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or puddling – if you don’t get rid of it.
Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be small now, a tree sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs mean there are issues with your rain gutter that need to be addressed right away. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.
This is where a professional gutter service in Kalamazoo can be of great help. They can determine whether 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 all that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do simple gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it it can be time consuming and dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore a couple of times a year to save a little money.
However, anything beyond gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with good customer reviews like Quick Clean Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to correctly determine the problem. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are 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. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!