Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Gutters are very important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home assets, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help protect your house from major damages.

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

Finding a leaking gutter early can protect an entire home. Here, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without hiring a roofer) to see if you have a gutter leaking.

How to Identify Leaking Gutters

There are a number of signs that suggest leaking gutters, even if you don’t see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your lawn to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are there.

Here are some things to keep an eye out for:

Obvious Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the home, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be the result of faulty installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any section of them pulling away from the house might not cause a leak just yet, but these things will certainly cause issues. Getting these defects fixed is affordable than gutter replacement or any of the damages a leak can lead to.

Pooling Water – If water is puddling around your home, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your home, just to be careful.

Pooling water by your house can be especially damaging for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause your windows to leak.

Drips – One of the most obvious signs of gutter leaks 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 of the gutter and it isn’t a big overflow, there is an unseen leak somewhere. These minor leaks can happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).

Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak will start soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits in becomes a new area where water can get out if the fastener works its way out.

Sometimes the answer is as simple as tightening them, but it might also be important to seal the hole so no more water can leak from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is tightened again. You can buy this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.

Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially if it is consistently or frequently there. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris adhere to the moist surface better than it would a dry one.

Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll see after you see water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters fixed, but if your gutters are rusty, they will definitely need to be repaired or replaced.

Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a tree limb fall on your roof, but you’re starting to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, decaying wood on your patio 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 be. They also are related to aging building materials, so all factors should be factored in when inspecting gutters for leaks.

Other gutter issues…

Not every gutter issue leads to major repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a gutter leak may not be the issue.

Rain Overflow – This issue is typically an easy fix. It’s probably not a gutter leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Lorain gutter cleaning company – or even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.

Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there a while, you will start seeing some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.

Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your rain gutter with minimal 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 visible signs mean there are problems with your gutter that must be addressed right away. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.

This is when a professional gutter service in Lorain can be of great help. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.

Homeowners can decide to do basic gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are willing to complete the project 1-2 times a year to save some money.

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

Start by hiring a gutter service with good customer reviews like Lorain Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately determine the issue. We offer free inspections for potential customers.

If there are any repairs to be made, or if we think that it’s time to install new gutters, 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!