Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Rain Gutters are really important because – while they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, 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 a lot easier than you might think.
Identifying a leaking gutter early can protect an entire home. Here, we’ve provided a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without calling a roofer) to determine if your gutters are leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are a lot of signs that indicate leaking gutters, even if you don’t notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your lawn to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are there.
Here’s what to look for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters start to pull away from the house, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, low quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home might not be causing a leak yet, but these things will certainly lead to issues. Having these defects fixed is affordable than installing new gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can cause.
Pooling – If water is puddling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your house, just to be careful.
Pooling water by 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 a gutter leak is a drip, or several of them.
A drip coming from your rain gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, there is an unseen leak somewhere. These small leaks will happen if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws working their way out of the gutters likely means a leak is going to start soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits starts to become a new area where water can get out if the fastener starts to fall out.
Sometimes the answer is as easy as refastening them, but it can also be necessary to seal the hole so no water can escape from the edge of the screw or the nail, even after it is back in place. You can purchase this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially if it is constantly or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials adhere to the moist surface better than it would a drier one.
Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll see after water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters fixed, 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 starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you may have a gutter leak.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all of these factors need to be considered when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to major repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a gutter leak might not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty easy fix. It’s probably not a gutter leak, but a clog that needs to be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a East Lansing gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which will cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start to see some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of it.
Trees & Plants – A tree can easily take root in your rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be little now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you 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 tell if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a gutter service in East Lansing 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 the only thing that’s needed.
Some homeowners choose to do simple gutter care, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are eager to take on the project a couple of times a year to save some money.
However, anything beyond simple gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like East Lansing Gutter Experts. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are any repairs to be made, or if we think 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!