Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are important because – while they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home components, like the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to prevent your house from major damages.
And it’s much easier than you might think.
Identifying a leaking gutter early can protect the entire house. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few signs that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to see if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are many warning signs that suggest leaking gutters, even if you don’t see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your lawn to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here are some things to look for:
Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it causes stress on the connectors. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, low quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any section of them pulling away from the home may not be causing a leak yet, but will certainly result in problems. Having these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If water is puddling around your house, 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 careful.
Pooling water by your home can be very damaging 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 drips.
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 a hidden leak somewhere. These minor 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 means a leak is going to start soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits becomes a new area where water can escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the answer is as easy as refastening them, but it might also be necessary to seal the hole so no more water can leak from around the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially if it is consistently or frequently there. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials adhere to the moist surface better than on a drier one.
Rust is the product of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll see after water stains. water stains can be cleaned away and the gutters can be fixed, but if the gutters are rusty, they definitely need 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, rotting wood on your patio or deck, or mold on your window sills, you could have a gutter leak.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t be. They also go hand in hand with older building materials, so all of these 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 gutter leak might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty simple fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Topeka gutter cleaning service – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or in your downspout, which will 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 take root in your gutter with little debris present. While it may be little now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs indicate there are issues with your gutter that have to be addressed right away. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.
This is where a professional gutter service in Topeka can be of great help. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do simple gutter care, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are ready to take on the project a couple of times a year to save a little money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter service with good customer reviews like TruClean Topeka Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to correctly diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are gutter repairs to be made, or if we feel 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!