Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Rain Gutters are really important because – while they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect more valuable home investments, like the roof, foundation and windows. Caring for and cleaning gutters is an easy way to protect your home from damages.

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

Spotting a gutter leak early can protect the entire house. Below, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to determine if your gutters may be leaking.

How to Identify a Leaking Gutter

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

Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

Visible Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it causes stress on the connections. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, low quality materials, damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any section of them pulling away from the roofing may not cause a leak yet, but will definitely lead to problems. Getting these defects repaired is more affordable than replacing gutters or any of the potential 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 pipes, water spigots and any other water source that is near your home, just to be careful.

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

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

A drip coming from your rain gutter is likely a clog, but if it’s coming from the bottom of the gutter and it isn’t overflowing, there is an unseen leak. These small leaks will happen if a fastener has become loose (see the next item below).

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

Sometimes the answer is as simple as refastening them, but it could also be important to cover the hole so no water can escape from around the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can purchase this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company apply it.

Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially when it is constantly or frequently present. Darker water stains appear because dirt and other materials adhere to the wet surface better than on a dry one.

Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more extreme sign you’ll see after you see water stains. water stains can be cleaned and the gutters repaired, but if the gutters are rusty, they will definitely have to be repaired or replaced.

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

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 taken into account when inspecting gutters for leaks.

Other gutter issues…

Not every gutter issue leads to major 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 leak, but a clog that needs to be cleaned out. You can do this yourself or hire a Concord gutter cleaning service – even a general handyman – to clean them out.

Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest 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 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 easily take root in your gutter with minimal debris present. While it may be small now, a sapling will sprout really strong roots that can damage aluminum gutters before you even know it.

Professional Gutter Repair

Any of these easy-to-see signs mean there are issues with your gutter that need to be addressed right away. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.

This is where a gutter service in Concord can be of great help. They can distinguish if gutter replacement is necessary or if you can get by with repairs to extend the lifetime of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic gutter cleaning is all that’s needed.

Some homeowners decide to do simple gutter care and maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it is time consuming and dangerous, they are ready to take on the chore a couple of times a year to save a little 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 Classic Concord Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly 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 trust us to get the job done right. Our gutter repair service will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!