Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are very important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to protect your home from damages.
And it’s really a lot simpler than you probably think.
Identifying a gutter leak early can protect an entire home. Here, we’ve provided a few signs that you can be on the lookout for (without calling a roof specialist) to see if your gutters are leaking.
How to Identify a Gutter Leak
There are a lot of warning signs that indicate a gutter leak, even if you don’t see water dripping. You can do an inspection from the ground to decide if the signs of a gutter leak are present.
Here’s what to look for:
Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it causes stress on the connections. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, low quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roof may not be causing a leak just yet, but will certainly lead to issues. Getting these defects fixed is a lot more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the damages a leak can cause.
Pooling Water – If rain is pooling around your house, it’s a 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 near your house can be bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and can cause your 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 a hidden leak. These small leaks can occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws wiggling 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 works its way out.
Sometimes the answer is as simple as refastening them, but it can also be important to cover the hole so no more water can leak from around the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can purchase this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves behind evidence, especially if it is consistently or frequently present. Darker water stains will appear because dirt and other materials stick to the wet surface better than it would a dry one.
Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after you see water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters repaired, but if the gutters are rusty, they definitely have to be repaired or replaced.
Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a storm, and you haven’t had a tree limb fall on your roof, but you’re beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your patio or deck, or mold on your window sills, you may have leaking gutters.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all of these factors should be taken into account when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not all gutter issues lead to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak may not be the issue.
Rain Overflow – This one is usually an easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that should be removed. You can do this or hire a Oak Park gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little while, 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 take root in your rain gutter with minimal debris present. While it may be little now, a tree sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.
Professional Gutter Repair
Any of these easy-to-see signs indicate there are issues with your gutter that must be addressed right away. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.
This is where a gutter service in Oak Park can be helpful. They can determine whether 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.
Some homeowners choose to do basic gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore a couple of times a year to save some money.
However, any job beyond gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.
Start by calling a gutter service with good customer reviews like Oak Park Gutter Cleaning. Then let us do an inspection to correctly determine the problem. We provide free inspections for new customers.
If there are any repairs to be made, or if we believe that it’s time to install new gutters, you can trust us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!