Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Gutters are very important because – although they are simple and inexpensive – they protect more valuable home assets, like the roof, foundation and windows. Taking care of and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help protect your home from damages.

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

Spotting a leaking gutter early can protect the entire house. Below, we’ve listed 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 Gutter Leak

There are a lot of signs that point to a gutter leak, even if you don’t physically notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the safety of your ground to decide if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.

Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the home, it stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be caused by poor installation, low quality materials, storm damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roofing may not be causing a leak just yet, but will certainly cause problems. Having these defects fixed is much more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the potential damages a leak can cause.

Pooling Water – If rain is puddling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. But you should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your home, just in case.

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

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

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

Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the rain gutters means a leak is going to start soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits becomes a new area where water can escape if the fastener starts to fall out.

Sometimes the answer is as easy as tightening them, but it might also be necessary to cover the hole so no more water can leak from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.

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

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

These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all of these factors should be taken into account 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 problem.

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

Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk can build a nest in your rain gutters or downspout, which can cause overflow. Once the nest has been there for a little 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 little debris present. While it may be small now, a tree sapling will sprout really 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 have to 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 Duluth can be of great help. They can determine if 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 decide to do basic gutter care, such as gutter cleaning, themselves. Although it is time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are eager to complete the chore a couple of times each year to save some money.

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

Start by finding a gutter service with excellent customer reviews like Duluth Gutter Service. Then let us do an inspection to correctly diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for new customers.

If there are repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time for gutter replacement, you can trust us to get the job done. Our gutter repair service can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!