Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home components, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help prevent your home from damages.
And it’s really much simpler than you might think.
Spotting a leaking gutter early can protect your entire house. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few signs that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to determine if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are a number of signs that indicate a gutter leak, even if you don’t see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the lawn to decide if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it causes stress on the connectors. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roof may not cause a leak just yet, but these things will certainly lead to problems. Getting these defects repaired is affordable than installing new gutters or any of the possible damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling Water – If water is puddling around your house, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is close to your house, just to be sure.
Pooling water near your home can be very harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most visible signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your rain gutter indicates 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. These small leaks can occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak will start soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole 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 easy as refastening them, but it could also be necessary to cover the hole so no more water can escape from around the screw or the nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves behind evidence, especially when it is consistently or frequently there. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other materials adhere to the moist surface better than it would a dry one.
Rust is the product of constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters fixed, but if your gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or be replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re beginning to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you might have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also are related to aging 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 leak may not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is typically an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this or hire a Gaithersburg gutter cleaning company – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A small 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 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 minimal debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs mean there are problems with your rain gutter that have to be addressed immediately. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Gaithersburg can be helpful. They can distinguish if gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Homeowners can decide to do basic gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it it can be time consuming and dangerous, they are ready to take on the chore 1-2 times each year to save a little money.
However, any job beyond gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter specialist with excellent customer reviews like Gaithersburg Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to correctly determine 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 count on us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!