Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Gutters are important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, like the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning gutters is an easy way to prevent your home from damages.

And it’s really much easier than you might think.

Spotting a leaking gutter early can protect an entire house. Below, we’ve provided a few signs that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to see if your gutters may be leaking.

How to Identify a Leaking Gutter

There are several signs that suggest leaking gutters, even if you don’t notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the ground to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are present.

Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it causes stress on the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by poor 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 be causing a leak yet, but these things will certainly result in problems. Getting these defects fixed is affordable than gutter replacement or any of the possible damages a leak can lead to.

Pooling Water – If rain is pooling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is close to your home, just to be sure.

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

Dripping – One of the most visible signs of a leaking gutter is a drip, or several of them.

A drip from your gutter could indicate a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t overflowing, there is a hidden leak. These small leaks will occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item on our list).

Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws working their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak is going to 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 starts to fall out.

Sometimes the solution is as easy as tightening them, but it could also be important to seal 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 sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.

Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves behind evidence, especially when it is consistently or frequently there. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other debris stick to the moist surface better than it would a drier one.

Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll see after you see water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters fixed, but if 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 top of your roof, but you’re starting to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you might have a gutter leak.

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 need to be factored in when inspecting gutters for leaks.

Other gutter issues…

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

Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty easy fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that needs to be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Columbia gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.

Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which can also 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 puddling – if you don’t get rid of the nest.

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

Professional Gutter Repair

Any of these obvious signs indicate there are issues with your gutter that must be addressed immediately. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.

This is where a gutter service in Columbia can be helpful. They can distinguish whether gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.

Some homeowners decide to do simple gutter care, like gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are eager to complete the project a couple of times a year to save a little money.

However, anything beyond gutter cleaning is best left to professionals.

Start by calling a gutter specialist with excellent customer reviews like WeClean Columbia Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately determine the problem. We provide free inspections for potential customers.

If there are gutter repairs to be made, or if we believe 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!