Are Your Gutters Leaking?

Rain Gutters are important because – while they are simple and relatively inexpensive – they protect valuable home components, like the roof, foundation and windows. Maintaining and cleaning gutters is an easy way to help protect your house from major damages.

And it’s really a lot easier than you might think.

Spotting a leak in your gutters early can protect an entire home. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few indicators that you can look for (without hiring a roof specialist) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.

How to Identify a Gutter Leak

There are many warning signs that indicate a leaking gutter, 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 gutter leak are present.

Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

Obvious Flaws – When the gutters pull away from the roof, it stresses the connectors. Cracks can be caused by faulty installation, low quality materials, storm damage or age. Cracks in the gutter channel or seeing any part of them pulling away from the roof might not be causing a leak yet, but will certainly lead to problems. Having these defects fixed is affordable than replacing gutters or any of the damages a leak can cause.

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

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

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

A drip from your 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 tiny leaks can happen if a fastener has gotten loose (see the next item on our list).

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

Sometimes the answer is as simple as tightening them, but it may also be necessary to cover the hole so no water can escape from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is tightened again. 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 constantly or frequently present. Dark water stains appear because dirt and other debris adhere to the wet surface better than on a drier one.

Rust is the result of constant moisture, and the more severe sign you’ll notice after you see water stains. Most water stains can be cleaned away and the gutters 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 tree limb fall on your roof, but you’re beginning to notice paint flaking, cracking in the foundation 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 a place it shouldn’t. They also are related to older 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 leak might not be the issue.

Rain Overflow – This one is a pretty easy fix. It’s probably not a leak, but a clog that has to be removed. You can do this yourself or hire a Chattanooga gutter cleaning company – even a general handyman – to clean out the gutters.

Animal Nests – A small bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest can build a nest in your gutters or downspout, which will also cause overflow. Once the nest has been there a while, you will start seeing some of the above signs of a leak in a gutter – 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 minimal debris present. While it may be small now, a 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 issues with your gutter that must be addressed immediately. By quickly checking all of your gutters and downspouts, you can tell if there’s a reason for concern.

This is when a professional gutter service in Chattanooga can be of great help. They can distinguish whether gutter replacement is required or if you can get by with repairs to lengthen the life of your home’s gutters. Sometimes, basic 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 ready to complete the chore 1-2 times a year to save a little money.

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

Start by finding a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like Chattanooga Gutters. Then let us do a full inspection to correctly diagnose the problem. We provide free inspections for new customers.

If there are any gutter 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 will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run!