Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home assets, like the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help protect your home from major damages.
And it’s much easier than you might think.
Identifying a gutter leak early can protect an entire home. Here, we’ve listed a few indicators that you can look for (without calling a roof specialist) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are a lot of signs that indicate a gutter leak, even if you don’t actually notice water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the lawn to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here are some things to look for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, poor quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the house may not cause a leak yet, but will certainly cause issues. Getting these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than replacing gutters or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If rain is puddling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. You should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your house, just to be sure.
Pooling water around your home can be harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the more noticeable signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your 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 somewhere. These minor leaks will happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits becomes a new area where water can escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as tightening them, but it could also be necessary to cover the hole so no more water can leak from around the screw or nail, even after it is tightened again. You can purchase this sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially when it is consistently or frequently present. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other debris adhere to the moist surface better than it would a dry one.
Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after you see water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, 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 your roof, but you’re starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or mold on your window sills, you may 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 aging building materials, so all factors should be factored in when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty easy fix. It’s probably not a gutter leak, but a clog that has to be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Muskegon gutter cleaning company – or even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can build a nest in your rain gutters or in your downspout, which will also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start seeing some of the above signs of a leak in a gutter – like rust or puddling – if you don’t get rid of it.
Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your rain gutter with minimal 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 easy-to-see signs mean there are issues with your rain gutter that have to be addressed right away. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a professional gutter service in Muskegon can be of great help. They can distinguish whether 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 the only thing that’s needed.
Some homeowners choose to do simple gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are willing to complete the chore 1-2 times a year to save a little money.
However, any job beyond simple gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by calling a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like Muskegon Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are any repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time to install new gutters, you can count on us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!