Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are very important because – although they are simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home assets, like 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 much simpler than you probably think.
Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect the entire home. Here, we’ve provided a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roofer) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are many warning signs that suggest a leaking gutter, even if you don’t actually see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your ground to decide if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the house, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be the result of faulty installation, poor quality materials, damage, or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roofing might not cause a leak yet but will definitely lead to problems. Getting these defects fixed is more affordable than replacing gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If rain is pooling around your home, 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 home, just to be careful.
Pooling water by your house can be very harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most obvious signs of gutter leaks is a drip, or several of them.
A drip from your rain gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom of the gutter and it isn’t overflowing, there is a hidden leak somewhere. These minor leaks will 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 rain gutters likely means a leak is going to begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits in becomes a new area where water can escape if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as tightening them, but it may also be important to cover the hole so no water can escape from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is tightened again. You can purchase this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially when it is consistently or frequently present. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials adhere to the moist surface better than it would a drier one.
Rust is the product of nearly constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll see after you see water stains. Most water stains can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if the 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 your roof, but you’re beginning to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, rotting wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you may have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t. They also are related to older building materials, so all of these factors should be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to major repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a leak might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is usually an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that needs to be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a White Plains gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly 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 a leak in a gutter – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.
Trees & Plants – A tree can easily take root in your rain gutter with minimal debris present. While it may be small now, a tree sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs mean there are problems with your rain gutter that need to be addressed immediately. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is where a gutter service in White Plains can be helpful. They can distinguish 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 decide to do basic gutter care and maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and dangerous, they are willing to take on the chore 1-2 times a year to save some money.
However, anything beyond simple gutter cleaning should be left to professionals.
Start by calling a gutter specialist with excellent customer reviews like White Plains Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to correctly determine the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are any repairs to be made, or if we think 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!