Are Your Gutters Leaking?

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

And it’s a lot easier than you probably think.

Spotting a leaking gutter early can protect your entire home. Below, we’ve provided a few signs that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to determine if you have a gutter leaking.

How to Identify a Gutter Leak

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

Here’s what to look for:

Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the house, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, poor quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the home might not cause a leak yet, but will certainly result in issues. Getting these defects fixed is affordable than installing new gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can lead to.

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

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

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

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

Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws working their way out of the gutters likely means a leak will start soon, if it hasn’t already. The area 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 easy as refastening them, but it could also be necessary to seal the hole so no more water can leak from around the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this type of 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 appear because dirt and other debris adhere to the wet surface better than on a drier one.

Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll see after water stains. water stains can be cleaned and the gutters can be fixed, but if 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 notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying 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 a place it shouldn’t be. They also go hand in hand with older 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 common gutter issues, a leak might not be the issue.

Rain Overflow – This one is typically an easy fix. It’s likely not a gutter leak, but a clog that has to be cleaned out. You can do this or hire a Durham gutter cleaning service – or even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.

Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, you will start to see some of the above signs of a leak in a gutter – like rust or puddling – 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 small now, a tree sapling will sprout strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you even know it.

Professional Gutter Repair

Any of these visible signs indicate there are problems with your gutter that must be addressed right away. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.

This is when a professional gutter service in Durham 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 gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.

Some homeowners choose to do basic gutter care and maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it it can be time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are willing to take on the project a couple of times a year to save a little money.

However, any job beyond simple gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.

Start by hiring a gutter specialist with excellent customer reviews like Durham Gutter Defense. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly determine the issue. We offer free inspections for potential customers.

If there are any repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time for gutter replacement, 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!