Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, like the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help prevent your house from major damages.

And it’s much simpler than you might think.

Spotting a gutter leak early can protect an entire house. Here, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can look for (without hiring a roofer) to see if you have a gutter leaking.

How to Identify a Leaking Gutter

There are a number of warning signs that indicate leaking gutters, even if you don’t actually see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the ground to decide if the signs of a gutter leak are present.

Here are some things to look for:

Visible Flaws – When gutters start to pull away from the home, it stresses the connections. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roof might not be causing a leak just yet, but will definitely cause problems. Having these defects repaired is much more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the potential damages a leak can lead to.

Pooling Water – If water is pooling around your house, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is probably present. You should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is close to your house, just to be careful.

Pooling water by your home can be very damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.

Dripping – One of the more noticeable signs of gutter leaks is a drip, or several drips.

A drip coming from your rain 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 occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).

Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the gutters 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 works its way out.

Sometimes the solution is as easy as refastening them, but it may also be necessary to seal the hole so no more water can leak from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is tightened again. You can purchase this sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.

Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially if it is constantly or frequently present. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris stick to the moist surface better than it would a drier one.

Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll notice after you see water stains. water stains can be cleaned away and the gutters repaired, but if the gutters are rusty, they will 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 starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your patio or deck, or mold on your window sills, you could have leaking gutters.

These are all signs 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 should 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 gutter leak might not be the issue.

Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty simple fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that has to be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Evansville gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean them out.

Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can build a nest in your rain gutters or 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 it.

Trees & Plants – A tree can easily take root in your gutter with minimal debris present. While it may be small now, a 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 must 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 Evansville can be helpful. They can distinguish whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.

Homeowners can choose to do basic gutter care, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it it can be time consuming and dangerous, they are willing to complete the chore 1-2 times a year to save a little money.

However, anything beyond gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.

Start by finding a gutter specialist with excellent customer reviews like Express Evansville Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly determine the problem. We provide free inspections for new customers.

If there are repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time for gutter replacement, you can trust us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!