Are Your Gutters Leaking?
Gutters are very important because – despite being simple and inexpensive – they protect valuable home investments, such as the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning rain gutters is an easy way to help protect your house from major damages.
And it’s much easier than you might think.
Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect your entire house. Here, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can look for (without calling a roof specialist) to see if your gutters may be leaking.
How to Identify a Leaking Gutter
There are a number of warning signs that indicate leaking gutters, even if you don’t actually notice water dripping. You can do an inspection from the lawn to determine if the signs of a leaking gutter are there.
Here are some things to look for:
Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the home, it causes stress on the connectors. Cracks can be caused by faulty 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 house may not be causing a leak yet, but will definitely create issues. Having these defects fixed is much more affordable than replacing gutters or any of the damages a leak can lead to.
Pooling – If water is pooling around your house, it’s a sign that a gutter leak is present. You should also check pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your home, just to be sure.
Pooling water by your home can be bad for the foundation. It’s also bad for landscaping and could cause your windows to leak.
Drips – One of the most visible signs of a gutter leak is a drip, or several drips.
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 overflowing, there is an unseen leak somewhere. These small leaks can occur if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item below).
Visible Fasteners – Finding nails and screws wiggling their way out of the gutters likely 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 answer is as simple as tightening them, but it could also be important 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 type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.
Water Stains or Rust – Moisture leaves evidence behind, especially when it is constantly or frequently present. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other organic debris stick to the moist surface better than on a drier one.
Rust is the result of nearly constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after you see water stains. Most water stains on gutters can be cleaned and the gutters can be repaired, but if gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or 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 beginning to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation around the downspouts or walkways, rotting wood on your porch or deck, or mold on your window sills, you might have a gutter leak.
These are all indications that water has been leaking from somewhere it shouldn’t be. They also go hand in hand with aging building materials, so all of these factors need to be taken into account when inspecting gutters for leaks.
Other gutter issues…
Not every gutter issue leads to home repairs. If you see these gutter issues, a leak may not be the problem.
Rain Overflow – This issue is a pretty simple fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that should be cleaned out. You can do this or hire a Omaha gutter cleaning company – or even a general handyman – to clean them out.
Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or another pest can quickly build a nest in your gutters or in your downspout, which will cause overflow. Once the nest has been there while, you will start to see some of the above signs of leaks – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of it.
Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your rain gutter with little 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 have to be addressed immediately. By checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a cause for concern.
This is when a gutter service in Omaha can be helpful. They can determine if gutter replacement is required 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, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and somewhat dangerous, they are ready to take on the chore 1-2 times a year to save a little money.
However, any job beyond simple gutter cleaning should be left to professionals.
Start by finding a gutter service with good customer reviews like A-OK Omaha Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to accurately diagnose the problem. We offer free inspections for potential customers.
If there are any gutter repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time to install new gutters, you can count on us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!