Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to protect your home from damages.
And it’s really a lot easier than you might think.
Identifying a gutter leak early can protect an entire home. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roofer) to determine if your gutters may be leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are many signs that point to a leaking gutter, even if you don’t physically notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your ground to decide if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters start to pull away from the house, it causes stress on the connections. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, low quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the roofing might not cause a leak yet, but will ultimately lead to issues. Having these defects repaired is more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the potential damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If rain is puddling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is near your home, just in case.
Pooling water near your home can be especially damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most obvious signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your gutter is likely a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom of the gutter and it isn’t a big overflow, there is an unseen leak somewhere. These small leaks can occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits in starts to become a new area where water can get out if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as refastening them, but it can also be important to seal the hole so no more water can leak from around 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 if it is consistently or frequently there. Dark water stains will 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 away and the gutters can be fixed, but if gutters are rusty, they definitely need to be repaired or 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 starting to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you may have leaking gutters.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t be. They also are related to 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 home repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a gutter leak might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty simple fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Clarksville gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your rain 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 a leak in a gutter – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.
Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your 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 know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these visible signs indicate there are problems with your rain gutter that need to be addressed right away. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a professional gutter service in Clarksville 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.
Homeowners can choose to do basic gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are willing to take on the chore 1-2 times a year to save a little money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by hiring a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like Choice Clarksville Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately determine the issue. We offer free inspections for new customers.
If there are any gutter repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time for gutter replacement, you can trust us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!