Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Rain Gutters are so important because – although they are 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 help prevent your house from damages.

And it’s really a lot easier than you might think.

Identifying a leaking gutter early can protect your entire house. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few indicators that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to determine if your gutters may be leaking.

How to Identify Leaking Gutters

There are many signs that point to leaking gutters, even if you don’t physically see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your ground to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are present.

Here are some things to look for:

Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the roof, it stresses the connections. Cracks can be the result of faulty installation, low quality materials, damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the roofing might not be causing a leak just yet, but will definitely cause problems. Having these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the potential damages a leak can lead to.

Pooling – If rain is puddling around your house, it’s a possible 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 near your house can be very harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause your windows to leak.

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

A drip from your rain gutter is likely a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, there is a hidden leak somewhere. These minor leaks will occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item on our list).

Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters 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 get out if the fastener starts to fall out.

Sometimes the solution is as easy as tightening them, but it may also be important to seal the hole so no water can escape from the edge of the screw or the 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 evidence behind, especially when it is constantly or frequently present. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other debris stick 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 you see water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they definitely have to be repaired or replaced.

Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a tree limb fall on 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 might have a gutter leak.

These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also are related to 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 home repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a gutter leak may not be the problem.

Rain Overflow – This issue is typically an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that has to be cleaned out. You can do this or hire a Rochester gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean them out.

Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk or another pest can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or in your downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little while, you will start seeing 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 small amounts of debris present. While it may be small 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 quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.

This is when a professional gutter service in Rochester 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 home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.

Some homeowners decide to do basic gutter care, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time-consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are ready to take on the chore a couple of times each year to save a little money.

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

Start by calling a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Rochester Gutter Service. Then let us do an inspection to correctly determine the problem. We provide free inspections for potential customers.

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