During that rainstorm last week, you couldn’t help but notice that your gutters did not seem to effectively usher water away from your house. Could it be time to replace or repair them? Or do they just need to be cleaned out? How can you know when you need to seek help from a gutter professional? Well, whether you hire someone to clean out your gutters or do it yourself, it’s recommended that you clean out and maintain your gutters twice every year. However, you also need to be on the lookout for these five clear signs that your gutters need to be replaced by professionals.
Rust
Think about it. Your gutters deal with all kinds of weather twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week year after year. Eventually, the elements can take a toll, and rust can develop on older gutters. What’s so bad about a little rust? It weakens your metal gutters and doesn’t allow the water to drain properly, leading to leaks that can cause a lot of trouble for your house. Early on, rust can be removed by scrubbing with a wire brush. However, you may find that some rust won’t come off even with professional help. At that point, it’s time to replace your gutters, preferably with seamless aluminum gutters, which will not rust in the future.
Water Damage
When your gutters aren’t functioning properly, your house suffers the harsh consequences. Water damage from the basement up to the roof line can occur, potentially costing you big bucks to fix. And the damage can occur both on the exterior and interior of your home. However, hopefully you don’t have to wait until you’re dealing with expensive water damage to know that you need to address your gutters. If you notice water pooling up within a few feet of your house, your broken gutters could be the main culprit. Keep an eye out for relatively minor exterior damage that could be early warning signs, such as peeling, chipped, or rotting paint.
Sitting Water in Clean Gutters
After you’ve cleaned the gutters, the water should flow easily. If water accumulates instead, your gutter may not have been graded properly. A professional gutter service company can repair the grading or help you replace the gutters completely, ensuring that they drain water correctly away from your house.
Sagging Gutters
If your gutters appear to sag, it could do much more than just look bad. It could indicate that the grading is askew and that water could pool in the gutter instead of flow. Every once in a while, perhaps after you clean them every six months, stand back from your house and look at your gutters to make sure they look straight.
Broken Fasteners
The fasteners are small pieces, but they play a significant role in your gutter system. They keep the gutters attached to the roof and help preserve the grading. If you notice that the gutter is detached or even something as subtle as the presence of more screws on the ground around the foundation of your house, the fasteners may need to be replaced so that the gutters can do their job during the next rainstorm. Keep in mind that if the gutters have been that way for a while, all your gutters may need to be replaced as well.
To get the full benefit of having gutters in the first place, you need to watch for these signs of trouble and be quick to act. Replacing your dysfunctional gutters is nothing compared to the potential damage they can cause if you leave them there. Not only could replacing the gutters save you thousands of dollars and headaches in repairs down the road, but you can rest easy knowing your family and possessions are truly sheltered from the elements.
About the Author
Platinum Gutters was started by husband-and-wife team Karl and Marjorie Pickens. They live and operate the business in Keller and serve customers in North Texas. Offering a wide variety of services, they can clean as well as do gutter repair or replacement as needed. Platinum Gutters provides many options for gutter replacement, including choices in gutter styles, colors, and protection systems, allowing customers to customize their gutters according to their needs. To schedule an estimate, click here.