Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Rain Gutters are so important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, like the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning gutters is an easy way to protect your home from damages.

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

Spotting a leaking gutter early can protect the entire home. In this blog post, we’ve listed a few signs that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.

How to Identify Leaking Gutters

There are several warning signs that point to leaking gutters, even if you don’t physically see water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your lawn to decide if the signs of a gutter leak are present.

Here’s what to look for:

Visible Flaws – When gutters start to pull away from the house, 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 channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home might not cause a leak yet, but these things will definitely result in issues. Getting these defects fixed is affordable than installing new gutters or any of the possible damages a leak can lead to.

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

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

Dripping – One of the more noticeable signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several of them.

A drip from your gutter is likely 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 means a leak will begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits becomes a new area where water can get out if the fastener works its way out.

Sometimes the solution is as easy as refastening them, but it may also be important to cover 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 apply it.

Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially when it is consistently or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other organic materials adhere to the wet surface better than on a dry one.

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

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

These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. 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 leak may not be the issue.

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

Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which can 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 puddling – if you don’t get rid of it.

Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you even know it.

Professional Gutter Repair

Any of these obvious signs mean there are issues with your gutter that need to be addressed right away. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.

This is when a gutter service in Winston-Salem can be helpful. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.

Homeowners can decide to do simple gutter care and maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time-consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to complete the project 1-2 times a year to save a little money.

However, any job beyond basic gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.

Start by calling a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Winston-Salem Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly diagnose the issue. We offer free inspections for potential customers.

If there are repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time to install new gutters, you can count on us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!