4 Signs Your Gutters May Cause Water Damage

10/18/2016 (Permalink)

Every homeowner fears the threat of water damage. Many of these threats come from situations such as leaks in the roof or some other way that water passes into the home. One of the most common and noticeable appliances that are designed to keep water from entering the home are the gutters. The purpose of the gutters is to carry rainwater down and away from the home. This allows the home to avoid any potential water-related problems, such as flooding, leaks, or damage to the foundation. If your gutters are not working properly, the result could be very serious water damage occurring to your home. These four signs will tell you that your gutters are not working properly and are in need of repair or, possibly, replacement.

Gutters are Sagging Away from the House

If your gutters are noticeably sagging, they will not be properly doing their job of leading the water down and away from the house. This is one of the easiest ways to tell that you may have an issue because you can tell it’s happening simply by looking up. The reason why your gutters may be sagging is that they are full of heavy water. This can cause the gutters to not drain properly which could result in other issues such as cracks or holes forming in the gutters. If this happens, water may start spilling down the side of the house causing water damage in the home or to the foundation.

Gutters are Starting to Show Rust

Noticing that your gutters are starting to rust is not as easy as noticing that the gutters are sagging. For this problem, you’ll have to climb up onto the roof or climb up a ladder to notice it. However, if you are able to get some elevation above the gutters, the rusting will be quite noticeable. To ensure that your gutters are working properly, you should regularly inspect them. Any rust should be easily noticed during this inspection.

Over time, if the gutters are not attended to, holes or cracks may form which could cause water to spill out of the gutters, run down the side of the house, and damage the foundation of the home. If your gutters are rusted and are in need of a replacement, you might want to consider getting aluminum gutters. These gutters don’t rust which will ensure that your problem doesn’t happen again.

Marks Are Showing Up On the Exterior of the Home

Cracks or holes in your gutters will cause water to stream down the side of your home. This will leave water stains, cause paint to peel, and mold to grow. Signs of these problems will show up on the exterior walls of the home or right underneath the gutters. This is a sign that your gutters are not directing water down and away from the house but that water is escaping the gutters. As the water continues down toward the ground, it can eventually cause water damage to your home and damage to the foundation of the home.

Splits and/or Cracks Are Forming in the Gutters

Tiny splits or cracks that form in the gutters may not seem like a big deal as water is not even escaping at that point. But the force of the running water can cause these small cracks to become big cracks rather quickly. Water will then easily escape the gutters and stream down the side of the house where it can cause damage to the house and its foundation. Sometimes you can repair these cracks using specialized tape or roofing cement but you may have to completely replace the gutters if the cracks are too big or if there are too many of them.

If there are problems with your gutters that are causing them to stop directing water down and away from your home, issues involving water damage can arise. In some cases, you may be able to repair the gutters but in many cases, you will have to completely replace them. Either way, it’s important that you keep a close eye on your gutters through regular inspection as this will allow you to avoid potential water damage. If you do suffer from water damage, call on the professionals at SERVPRO for a full restoration.