Are Your Gutters Leaking?

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

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

Finding a leaking gutter early can protect your entire house. In this blog post, we’ve provided a few signs that you can look for (without calling a roofer) to see if there is a leak in your gutters.

How to Identify a Gutter Leak

There are a number of warning signs that point to a leaking gutter, even if you don’t see water dripping. You can do a visual inspection from the safety of your lawn to determine 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 stresses the fasteners. Cracks can be the result of faulty installation, poor quality materials, damage or general wear and tear. Cracks in the gutter or seeing any part of them pulling away from the home might not be causing a leak just yet, but these things will ultimately create problems. Having these defects fixed is more affordable than installing new gutters or any of the damages a leak can lead to.

Pooling Water – If water is puddling around your home, it’s a possible sign that a gutter leak is probably present. You should also check underground pipes, water spigots and any water source that is near your house, just to be careful.

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

Dripping – 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. These minor 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 gutters likely means a leak is going to start soon, if it hasn’t already. The area where the nail or screw fits starts to become 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 may also be necessary to seal the hole so no water can escape from the edge of the screw or nail, even after it is back in place. You can buy this type of sealant, or let a gutter repair company put it on.

Water Stains or Rust – Water leaves evidence behind, especially if it is constantly or frequently present. Dark water stains will appear because dirt and other materials stick to the wet surface better than it would a drier one.

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

Unexplained Home Damage – If there hasn’t recently been a severe storm, and you haven’t had a limb fall on top of 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 signs that water has been leaking from a place it shouldn’t. They also go hand in hand with older 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 common gutter issues, a leak might not be the problem.

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

Animal Nests – A bird, squirrel, chipmunk or other pest 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 a leak in a gutter – like rust or pooling – if you don’t get rid of it.

Trees & Plants – A tree can take root in your rain gutter with small amounts of debris present. While it may be little 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 mean there are issues with your rain gutter that need to be addressed right away. By quickly checking your gutters and downspouts, you can see if there’s a reason for concern.

This is where a professional gutter service in Jacksonville can be helpful. They can distinguish if gutter replacement is necessary 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.

Homeowners can choose to do basic gutter care and maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, on their own. Although it it can be time consuming and sometimes dangerous, they are ready to complete the chore 1-2 times a year to save some money.

However, anything beyond simple gutter cleaning should be left to the professionals.

Start by hiring a gutter specialist with good customer reviews like JAX Gutters, Inc.. Then let us do an inspection to accurately diagnose the issue. We provide free inspections for potential customers.

If there are gutter repairs to be made, or if we feel that it’s time for gutter replacement, 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!