Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Gutters are really important because – while they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, like the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help prevent your home from damages.

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

Identifying a leak in your gutters early can protect the entire house. Here, we’ve provided a few signs that you can look for (without hiring a roof specialist) to determine if your gutters may be leaking.

How to Identify Leaking Gutters

There are a lot of warning signs that indicate a gutter leak, even if you don’t physically notice water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the ground to decide if the signs of a gutter leak are there.

Here’s what to look for:

Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it causes stress on the connections. Cracks can be the result of poor installation, poor quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the house might not be causing a leak just yet, but will definitely result in issues. Getting these defects repaired is more affordable than gutter replacement or any of the damages a leak can lead to.

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

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

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

A drip from your rain gutter could indicate 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 on our list).

Visible Fasteners – Finding 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 becomes a new area where water can escape if the fastener starts to fall out.

Sometimes the solution is as simple as tightening them, but it could also be necessary to cover the hole so no water can escape from around the screw or the 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 behind evidence, especially when it is constantly or frequently there. Dark water stains will appear because dirt and other materials stick to the wet surface better than on a drier one.

Rust is the product of constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned away and the gutters can be fixed, but if gutters are rusty, they definitely need to be repaired or replaced.

Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t been a storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on top of your roof, but you’re starting to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation or walkways, decaying wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you could have leaking gutters.

These are all signs that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. They also are related to older 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 major repairs. If you see these common gutter issues, a leak might not be the issue.

Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty simple fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that needs to be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Chico gutter cleaning company – or even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.

Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can quickly build a nest in your rain gutters or in your downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there awhile, 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 easily take root in your gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be little now, a sapling will sprout strong roots that can destroy aluminum gutters before you even know it.

Professional Gutter Repair

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

This is when a gutter service in Chico can be helpful. They can determine if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the lifetime of your gutters. Sometimes, gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.

Some homeowners decide to do basic gutter care and maintenance, like gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and dangerous, they are willing to complete the chore a couple of times a year to save some money.

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

Start by calling a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like Chico Gutter Service. Then let us do an inspection to correctly 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 to install new gutters, you can count on us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!