Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Gutters are very important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home assets, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning gutters is an easy way to prevent your home from major damages.

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

Identifying a leak in your gutters early can protect an entire home. Below, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can look for (without calling a roof specialist) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.

How to Identify a Leaking Gutter

There are a lot of signs that indicate a leaking gutter, even if you don’t see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your lawn to determine if the signs of a gutter leak are present.

Here are some things to keep an eye out for:

Visible Flaws – When gutters begin to pull away from the house, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home may not be causing a leak just yet, but these things will definitely create problems. Getting these defects repaired is a lot more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the possible damages a leak can cause.

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

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

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

A drip coming from your rain gutter indicates a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom and it isn’t a big overflow, there is a hidden leak. These tiny leaks will occur if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).

Visible Fasteners – Seeing nails and screws working their way out of the rain gutters means a leak is going to start soon, if it hasn’t already. The hole where the nail or screw fits in becomes a new area where water can get out if the fastener works its way out.

Sometimes the solution is as simple as refastening them, but it might also be necessary to seal the hole so no more 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 put it on.

Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially when it is consistently or frequently present. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris stick to the wet surface better than it would a dry one.

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

These are all signs that water has been leaking from a place 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 every gutter issue leads to home repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a gutter leak may not be the issue.

Rain Overflow – This one is usually an easy fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that has to be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Newton 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 awhile, you will start seeing 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 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 easy-to-see signs mean there are problems with your gutter that have to be addressed immediately. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.

This is when a professional gutter service in Newton can be helpful. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to extend the life of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is the only thing that’s needed.

Homeowners can decide to do simple gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it it can be time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to take on the project a couple of times each year to save some money.

However, any job beyond simple gutter cleaning is best left to the professionals.

Start by calling a gutter specialist with excellent customer reviews like Nifty Newton Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately determine the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.

If there are 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 can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!