Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are very important because – although they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home components, like the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to prevent your house from damages.
And it’s really much simpler than you probably think.
Identifying a gutter leak early can protect an entire home. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roof specialist) to see if your gutters may be leaking.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are a number of signs that suggest a gutter leak, even if you don’t notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the lawn to decide if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the home, it causes stress on the connectors. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, low quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the roofing might not cause a leak just yet, but will ultimately result in issues. Having these defects fixed is more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If rain is pooling around your home, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your home, just in case.
Pooling water near your house can be very harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.
Drips – One of the more noticeable signs of gutter leaks is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t overflowing, there is an unseen leak. These tiny leaks can occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak is going to begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits 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 can also be important to seal the hole so no water can leak 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 when it is consistently or frequently present. Darker water stains will appear because dirt and other materials stick to the wet surface better than on a dry one.
Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll see after you see water stains. water stains can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they will definitely need 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 beginning to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or moldy window sills, you might have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all 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 gutter issues, a leak may not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that has to be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Ann Arbor 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 will cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little while, you will start to see some of the above signs of a leak in a gutter – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.
Trees & Plants – A tree can easily take root in your gutter with minimal debris present. While it may be small now, a tree sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage 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 quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.
This is where a professional gutter service in Ann Arbor can be of great help. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do simple gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it it can be time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore a couple of times each year to save some money.
However, anything beyond basic gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by calling a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like AllClean Ann Arbor Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to correctly diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time to install new gutters, 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!