Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to prevent your home from damages.
And it’s really a lot easier than you might think.
Identifying a leak in your gutters early can protect your entire home. Here, we’ve listed 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 Gutter Leak
There are a lot of signs that suggest leaking gutters, even if you don’t physically see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the lawn to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are present.
Here’s what to look for:
Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it causes stress on the connectors. Cracks can be the result of faulty installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roof may not be causing a leak just yet, but these things will definitely create problems. Getting these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than replacing gutters or any of the damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If rain is puddling around your house, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is close to your house, just to be careful.
Pooling water around your home can be especially damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most obvious signs of a gutter leak 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 somewhere. These tiny leaks can happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak will 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 escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as refastening them, but it may also be necessary to cover the hole so no water can escape from the edge of the screw or 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 evidence behind, especially when it is consistently or frequently present. Dark water stains will appear because dirt and other organic 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. Most water stains can be cleaned and the gutters can be fixed, but if your 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, decaying wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you might have a gutter leak.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. They also are related to aging building materials, so all of these factors need to be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not every gutter issue leads to major repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak may not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty simple fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that needs to be cleaned out. You can do this or hire a Kokomo gutter cleaning service – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your 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 leaks – like rust or puddling – if you don’t get rid of it.
Trees & Plants – A tree can easily take root in your gutter with little debris present. While it may be little now, a tree 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 rain gutter that need to be addressed immediately. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Kokomo can be of great help. They can distinguish whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen 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, on their own. Although it is time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to take on the chore 1-2 times a year to save some money.
However, any job beyond simple gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by calling a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Kokomo Gutter Service. Then let us do an inspection to accurately determine the problem. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are gutter repairs to be made, or if we feel 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!