Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Rain Gutters are very important because – despite being simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, like the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for 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 house. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can be on the lookout for (without calling a roof specialist) to see if you have a gutter leaking.

How to Identify Leaking Gutters

There are many warning signs that indicate leaking gutters, even if you don’t physically 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 keep an eye out for:

Visible Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the roof, it stresses the connections. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home might not cause a leak yet, but these things will ultimately lead to problems. Getting these defects repaired is affordable than gutter replacement or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.

Pooling – If rain is pooling around your house, 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 careful.

Pooling water near your house can be bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and might cause windows to leak.

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

A drip coming from your gutter is likely 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 tiny leaks will happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).

Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters likely means a leak is going to start 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 answer is as simple as tightening them, but it could also be necessary to seal the hole so no water can leak from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is tightened again. You can purchase this sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.

Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially if it is consistently or frequently present. Dark water stains will appear because dirt and other debris adhere to the wet surface better than on a dry one.

Rust is the product of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll see after water stains. water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters can be fixed, but if your gutters are rusty, they 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 beginning to see paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your porch or deck, or moldy window sills, you may have leaking gutters.

These are all signs that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t be. They also are related to aging building materials, so all factors should be taken into account 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 problem.

Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty simple fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Castle Rock gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean them out.

Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which will 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 rain gutter with minimal debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you know it.

Professional Gutter Repair

Any of these visible signs mean there are problems with your gutter that must be addressed immediately. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a cause for concern.

This is where a gutter service in Castle Rock can be of great help. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to extend the lifetime of your gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is the only thing 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 willing to complete the chore a couple of times each year to save a little money.

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

Start by hiring a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like Castle Rock Gutters. Then let us do an inspection to accurately diagnose the issue. We offer free inspections for potential customers.

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