Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are really important because – although they are simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home components, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to prevent your home from damages.
And it’s really much easier than you might think.
Identifying a gutter leak early can protect your entire house. Here, we’ve provided a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roofer) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are a number of signs that indicate a gutter leak, even if you don’t physically notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the ground to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here are some things to look for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the home, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any section of them pulling away from the roofing might not cause a leak just yet, but will definitely lead to problems. Getting these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If water is pooling 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 water source that is near your house, just to be sure.
Pooling water around your house can be especially harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most obvious signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, there is an unseen leak. These small leaks will happen 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 means a leak will start 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 can also be important to cover the hole so no water can escape from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is tightened again. You can purchase this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially if it is constantly or frequently present. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris stick to the moist 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 can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if the gutters are rusty, they will definitely need to be repaired or 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 beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you may have leaking gutters.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t. They also are related to older building materials, so all of these factors need to 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 gutter leak might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that has to be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Beverly gutter cleaning service – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your rain gutters or in your downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little while, you will start seeing some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of it.
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 even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these visible signs mean there are issues with your rain gutter that need to be addressed immediately. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is where a gutter service in Beverly can be of great help. They can distinguish if gutter replacement is necessary 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.
Some homeowners choose to do basic gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore 1-2 times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like Beverly Gutter Cleaning. Then let us do an inspection to correctly determine the issue. We offer free inspections for potential customers.
If there are gutter repairs to be made, or if we think that it’s time to install new gutters, you can count on us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!