Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help prevent your home from major damages.
And it’s really much simpler than you probably think.
Finding a leak in your gutters early can protect an entire home. Here, we’ve listed 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 Leaking Gutters
There are a number of signs that indicate leaking gutters, even if you don’t actually notice water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the ground to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it stresses the connectors. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, low quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roof may not be causing a leak yet, but these things will ultimately create problems. Having these defects fixed is a lot more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the possible damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If water 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 other water source that is near your house, just to be careful.
Pooling water around your house can be very bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most obvious signs of gutter leaks is a drip, or several of them.
A drip from your rain gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t overflowing, there is a hidden leak somewhere. These tiny leaks can happen if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working their way out of the gutters likely means a leak is going to start soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits starts to become a new area where water can escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the answer is as easy as tightening them, but it might also be important to cover the hole so no more water can leak from the edge of the screw or 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 if it is constantly or frequently present. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris stick to the wet surface better than on a drier one.
Rust is the product of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll see after you see water stains. water stains can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t 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 around the downspouts or walkways, decaying wood on your porch or deck, or moldy window sills, you may have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. They also are related to older building materials, so all of these factors need to be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not every gutter issue leads to major repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a gutter leak might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty simple fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a South Bend gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which will 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 easily take root in your rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be little now, a tree sapling will sprout strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs indicate there are problems with your rain gutter that must be addressed immediately. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a professional gutter service in South Bend can be of great help. They can determine if gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do simple gutter care and maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are eager to take on the project a couple of times a year to save some money.
However, any job beyond gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by calling a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like South Bend Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately diagnose the problem. We offer free inspections for new customers.
If there are repairs to be made, or if we think that it’s time for gutter replacement, 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!