Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home components, like the roof, foundation, and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to prevent your home from damages.
And it’s really a lot simpler than you might think.
Spotting a leaking gutter early can protect the entire home. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few signs that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are many signs that suggest leaking gutters, even if you don’t notice water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the ground to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here are some things to look for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the house, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be the result of faulty installation, poor quality materials, damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home may not cause a leak just yet, but will certainly cause issues. Having these defects repaired is affordable than replacing gutters or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If water is pooling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your house, just in case.
Pooling water by your home can be especially damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause your windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most obvious signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several drips.
A drip from your gutter is likely a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t overflowing, there is an unseen leak. These small leaks will happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak is going to begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits starts to become a new area where water can get out if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as tightening them, but it can also be important to seal the hole so no water can escape from around the screw or 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 constantly or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other materials adhere to the moist surface better than on a dry one.
Rust is the product of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if the gutters are rusty, they definitely have to be repaired or be replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a storm, and you haven’t had a tree limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re beginning to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, rotting wood on your porch 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 home repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a leak might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This issue is typically an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that needs to be removed. You can do this or hire a Hackensack gutter cleaning service – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or another pest can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which will cause overflow. Once the nest has been there a while, 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 easily take root in your rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be little now, a sapling will sprout really strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these visible signs indicate there are problems with your rain gutter that must be addressed right away. By checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.
This is where a gutter service in Hackensack can be helpful. They can determine whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to extend the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Some homeowners decide to do simple gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and dangerous, they are ready to take on the chore a couple of times a year to save some money.
However, any job beyond gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Hometown Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are gutter 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!