Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Gutters are important because – while they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home components, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help protect your house from major damages.

And it’s a lot simpler than you might think.

Spotting a leaking gutter early can protect your entire home. Below, we’ve listed a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roof specialist) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.

How to Identify Leaking Gutters

There are several signs that indicate a leaking gutter, even if you don’t actually see water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your ground to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are present.

Here are some things to keep an eye out for:

Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it stresses the connections. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home might not be causing a leak just yet, but will ultimately cause problems. Having these defects fixed is affordable than gutter replacement or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.

Pooling – If water is puddling around your house, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your house, just in case.

Pooling water by your house can be harmful for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause 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 is likely a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t overflowing, there is an unseen leak. These minor leaks will occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item below).

Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working their way out of the gutters means a leak will begin 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 might 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 back in place. You can buy this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.

Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves behind evidence, especially if it is constantly or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris adhere to the wet surface better than on a drier one.

Rust is the product of constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters can be fixed, but if the gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or be replaced.

Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on your roof, but you’re starting to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or mold on your window sills, you might have leaking gutters.

These are all signs 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 every gutter issue leads to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a gutter leak might not be the problem.

Rain Overflow – This one is usually an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Tuscaloosa gutter cleaning service – 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 can also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start seeing some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or puddling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.

Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your 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 need to be addressed right away. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.

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

Homeowners can choose to do basic gutter care, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore a couple of times a year to save some money.

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

Start by finding a gutter service with good customer reviews like Tuscaloosa Gutter Service. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately determine the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.

If there are 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 will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!