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 protect your house from major damages.
And it’s much simpler than you probably think.
Identifying a leak in your gutters early can protect an entire house. Below, we’ve provided a few signs that you can look for (without hiring a roof specialist) to determine if your gutters are leaking.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are several warning signs that suggest a leaking gutter, even if you don’t notice water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your lawn to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here’s what to look for:
Obvious Flaws – When gutters start to pull away from the home, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, poor quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the house may not cause a leak just yet, but will ultimately result in problems. Getting these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than replacing gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If water is pooling around your home, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is present. But you should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your home, just to be careful.
Pooling water by your house can be especially bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause your windows to leak.
Dripping – One of the more noticeable signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several drips.
A drip coming from your rain gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom of the gutter and it isn’t a big overflow, there is a hidden leak. These small leaks can happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item on our list).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the gutters means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits in starts to become a new area where water can escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as easy as refastening them, but it might also be necessary to cover the hole so no water can leak from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially when it is consistently or frequently present. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials adhere to the moist surface better than on a dry one.
Rust is the product of nearly 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 can be repaired, but if the 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 moldy window sills, you could 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 older building materials, so all factors should be considered 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 issue is a pretty easy fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Santa Barbara gutter cleaning company – or 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 rain gutters or 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 pooling – 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 little now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these obvious signs mean there are issues with your rain gutter that need to be addressed right away. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a professional gutter service in Santa Barbara can be of great help. They can determine if gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Homeowners can choose to do basic gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore 1-2 times each year to save some money.
However, any job beyond basic gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like Santa Barbara Gutter Service. Then let us do an 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!