Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, like the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to protect your home from major damages.
And it’s a lot easier than you probably think.
Finding a leak in your gutters 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 there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are several warning signs that suggest leaking gutters, even if you don’t see water dripping. You can do an inspection from the ground to decide if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here’s what to look for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roofing might not be causing a leak just yet, but these things will ultimately lead to problems. Having these defects repaired is affordable than installing new gutters or any of the damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling Water – If water is puddling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your house, just to be sure.
Pooling water around your home can be harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause your windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the more noticeable signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several of them.
A drip from your rain gutter is likely a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t overflowing, there is a hidden leak. These small leaks will occur 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 start 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 works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as refastening them, but it may also be necessary to seal 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 put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially when it is consistently or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials adhere to the wet surface better than it would a dry one.
Rust is the product of constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll see after you see water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters can be repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they will definitely need to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on 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 could have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also go hand in hand with older building materials, so all factors need to be taken into account 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 problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty simple fix. It’s probably not a gutter leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this or hire a Muncie gutter cleaning service – or even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which will also 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 the nest.
Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be little now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these visible signs indicate there are issues with your gutter that have to be addressed immediately. By checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.
This is where a gutter service in Muncie can be helpful. They can determine whether gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Some homeowners choose to do simple gutter care, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are willing to take on the chore 1-2 times a year to save some money.
However, any job beyond simple gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Muncie Gutters Plus. Then let us do an inspection to accurately diagnose the issue. We offer free inspections for potential 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. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!