Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect more valuable home investments, like the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to protect your home from major damages.
And it’s a lot simpler than you might think.
Finding a leaking gutter early can protect the entire house. Here, we’ve listed a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without calling a roofer) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are several signs that point to leaking gutters, even if you don’t notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your ground to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it stresses the connectors. Cracks can be caused by poor 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 might not be causing a leak just yet, but these things will definitely create problems. Getting these defects repaired is affordable than installing new gutters or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If rain is puddling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. 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 especially harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause windows to leak.
Drips – One of the more noticeable 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 of the gutter and it isn’t overflowing, there is a hidden leak somewhere. These minor leaks can happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working their way out of the 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 escape if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the answer is as easy as tightening them, but it could also be necessary to cover the hole so no water can escape from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can purchase this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially if it is consistently or frequently present. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other debris adhere to the wet surface better than it would a drier 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 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 top of your roof, but you’re starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or moldy window sills, you could have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also are related to older building materials, so all factors should be factored in when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to major repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a leak may not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty simple fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that needs to be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Bloomington gutter cleaning company – or 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 rain gutters or in your downspout, which can also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start to see some of the above signs of a leak in a gutter – 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 minimal debris present. While it may be little now, a tree sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs indicate there are issues with your rain gutter that need to be addressed right away. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is where a professional gutter service in Bloomington can be helpful. They can determine whether gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.
Some homeowners choose to do basic gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are ready to take on the chore a couple of times a year to save a little money.
However, anything beyond gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by calling a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Better Bloomington Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately determine the problem. We offer 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 trust us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!