Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are very important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect more valuable home components, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help protect your home from damages.
And it’s really a lot easier than you might think.
Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect the entire home. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can look for (without calling a roof specialist) to see if you have a gutter leaking.
How to Identify Leaking Gutters
There are a number of signs that point to leaking gutters, even if you don’t actually notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your lawn to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Visible Flaws – When gutters start to pull away from the roof, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be the result of faulty installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home may not cause a leak just yet, but these things will definitely lead to issues. Getting these defects fixed is affordable than replacing gutters or any of the damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling Water – If water is pooling around your home, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is probably present. You should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is near your home, just to be careful.
Pooling water around your house can be bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most obvious signs of gutter leaks is a drip, or several of them.
A drip from your gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, 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 gutters means a leak is going to begin soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits in becomes a new area where water can escape if the fastener works its way out.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as tightening them, but it could also be important to cover the hole so no water can escape from around 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 apply it.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves behind evidence, especially when it is consistently or frequently there. Dark 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 can be cleaned and the gutters fixed, but if your gutters are rusty, they definitely need 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 top of your roof, but you’re starting to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or moldy window sills, you could have leaking gutters.
These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. They also are related to aging 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 gutter issues, a gutter leak might not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This one is typically an easy fix. It’s likely not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this or hire a Tacoma gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there a while, you will start to see 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 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 visible signs mean there are problems with your gutter that need to be addressed right away. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Tacoma can be of great help. They can distinguish whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to extend the life of your gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.
Homeowners can decide to do basic gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it can be time consuming and dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore a couple of times each year to save a little money.
However, anything beyond simple gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like TruClean Tacoma Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly diagnose the problem. We provide free inspections for potential customers.
If there are repairs to be made, or if we think that it’s time for gutter replacement, 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!