Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are really important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home assets, like the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning gutters is an easy way to prevent your house from major damages.
And it’s a lot easier than you probably think.
Finding a leaking gutter early can protect the entire house. Below, we’ve listed a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roof specialist) to see if your gutters may be leaking.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are many warning signs that point to leaking gutters, even if you don’t actually notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your ground to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here’s what to look for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the house, it causes stress on the connections. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any section of them pulling away from the roofing might not cause a leak yet, but these things will ultimately create problems. Getting these defects repaired is affordable than installing new gutters or any of the damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If rain is pooling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your home, just to be careful.
Pooling water by your home can be especially damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most obvious signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several of them.
A drip coming from your rain gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, there is a hidden leak. These small leaks can happen if a fastener has become 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 will 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 solution is as easy as tightening them, but it may also be important to cover the hole so no more water can escape from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is back in place. You can purchase this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially if it is consistently or frequently present. Dark water stains will appear because dirt and other organic materials stick to the wet surface better than it would a drier one.
Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll see after you see water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters fixed, 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 limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re starting to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you could have a gutter leak.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with aging 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 gutter leak may not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This issue is typically an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this or hire a Plymouth gutter cleaning service – 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 gutters or in your downspout, which will cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little while, you will start seeing 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 little debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs mean there are problems with your gutter that need to be addressed immediately. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is where a professional gutter service in Plymouth can be of great help. They can distinguish whether gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to extend the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Some homeowners decide to do simple gutter care and maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and dangerous, they are eager to take on the project 1-2 times each year to save a little money.
However, anything beyond gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Plymouth Gutters Plus. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly determine the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are any gutter repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time for gutter replacement, you can count on us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!