Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home assets, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning gutters is an easy way to protect your house from major damages.
And it’s really much easier than you probably think.
Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect the entire house. Here, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roofer) to see if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are several warning signs that point to a gutter leak, even if you don’t physically notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the lawn to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here are some things to look for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the home, it causes stress on the connectors. Cracks can be the result of faulty installation, poor quality materials, damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roofing may not be causing a leak just yet, but will ultimately lead to problems. Having these defects fixed is affordable than replacing gutters or any of the possible damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If rain is pooling around your home, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your home, just to be sure.
Pooling water by your home can be damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the most visible signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your rain 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. These small leaks will occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws working their way out of the gutters likely means a leak is going to start 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 starts to fall out.
Sometimes the answer is as easy as tightening them, but it could also be important to cover the hole so no water can leak from around the screw or the nail, even after it is tightened again. You can buy this type of 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 there. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other materials stick to the wet surface better than it would a dry one.
Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after you see water stains. Most 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 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 starting to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your porch or deck, or moldy window sills, you may have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also go hand in hand with older building materials, so all of these factors need to be factored in when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a gutter leak may not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is usually an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that needs to be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Eagan 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 downspout, which will cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little while, you will start to see some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.
Trees & Plants – A tree can easily take root in your rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you even know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs mean there are problems with your gutter that must be addressed immediately. By checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is where a gutter service in Eagan can be helpful. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Homeowners can decide to do simple gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are eager to take on the chore a couple of times each year to save a little money.
However, any job beyond simple gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with good customer reviews like Eagan Gutter Experts. Then let us do an inspection to accurately determine the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are gutter repairs to be made, or if we think that it’s time to install new gutters, 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!