Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home investments, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to protect your home from major damages.
And it’s really much simpler than you probably think.
Finding a leaking gutter early can protect an entire home. Here, we’ve listed a few indicators that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are a number of warning signs that suggest a leaking gutter, even if you don’t actually see water dripping. You can do an inspection from the ground to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the house may not be causing a leak just yet, but will definitely cause issues. Getting these defects fixed is affordable than gutter replacement or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If rain is puddling around your home, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is close to your home, just in case.
Pooling water near your house can be really bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause your windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most visible signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several drips.
A drip from your gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, there is an unseen leak somewhere. These tiny leaks will occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the gutters likely means a leak will start soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits starts to become a new area where water can escape if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the answer is as simple as refastening them, but it may also be important to cover the hole so no more water can escape from the edge of the screw or 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 – Moisture leaves behind evidence, especially if it is constantly or frequently present. Darker water stains will appear because dirt and other materials adhere to the moist surface better than on a drier one.
Rust is the result 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 gutters are rusty, they will definitely need to be repaired or be replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on your roof, but you’re beginning to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you could have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all of these 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 common gutter issues, a leak may not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This issue is typically an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Oak Lawn gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can quickly build a nest in your gutters or in your downspout, which can also 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 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 even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs mean there are issues with your rain gutter that have to be addressed immediately. By checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Oak Lawn can be helpful. They can determine if gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to extend the lifetime of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Some homeowners choose to do simple gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it it can be time consuming and dangerous, they are willing to complete the chore 1-2 times a year to save some money.
However, anything beyond simple gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter specialist with excellent customer reviews like Oak Lawn Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are any 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 can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!