8 Tell-Tale Signs To Answer The Question: Do You Need New Gutters?
Your gutters are one of the most important elements of your home. They protect the exterior features from the elements and guide water – which can cause major damage – away from the structure. According to Bob Vila, gutters are “essential to a home’s well-being.” When your gutters are no longer functioning the way they should, it’s time to either make repairs (which can be costly) or replace the whole system. How do you know if it’s time to replace yours? Here are 8 telltale signs that you need to install new gutters.
Do You Need New Gutters?
1. Seams between sections are separated or leaking.
Gutters join together at seams as they run along your roof. These seams are a great area to look at first to assess how much life your gutters still have in them. During a rain event, walk around your house and check out your gutter seams and look for water leaking out of them. Sometimes, your gutter seams can be visibly separated. If this is the case, the gutter is also unable to do its vitally important job: routing water away from where it’s not supposed to go.
2. Gutters themselves are cracked or rusted.
The entire purpose of gutters is to hold water and to carry it away from your home. A cracked gutter can’t perform its function - water will find the cracks and leak out. Rusted gutters are also a sign that your gutters are more vulnerable. The area where the rust appears is where the gutter paint has peeled away from the metal, leaving the gutter exposed to the elements and the gutter’s condition to deteriorate further.
3. Broken gutter fasteners.
Gutter fasteners hold your gutters snug to the roof of your home. When they break, your gutter is not functioning optimally. It might seem like this is an easy fix (just replace the fastener, right?), but the fasteners breaking on your gutters might be a sign that your gutters themselves are in poor condition. Gutter fasteners can break because of stress put on gutters by collecting water or debris weighing them down.
4. Water pooling in the gutter.
If you notice that water is pooling inside of your gutter, it’s a sure sign that your gutters are pitched incorrectly, and water can no longer run out properly. It becomes even more obvious that your gutters are faulty if, during a big storm, water runs out over the side of your gutter.
5. Your house paint is peeling.
Though it might not be the first place you think to look to see if your gutters need replacing. Checking out the paint on your house could be a good indication of whether or not gutters are still doing their job – the water should be routed away from your home, unable to cause your house’s paint to peel or be stained.
6. Water damage on door frames and window sills.
Just like house paint, the wood trim on the exterior of your house should not be getting wet enough to show damage over time. Rotten wood trim on your home’s door frames and window sills is a sign that your gutters are no longer preventing water from getting to those areas. If you spot any of these issues, you might want to get a professional to weigh in on how your gutters are doing.
7. Mildew on your foundation.
Home foundations and water do not mix. You should never have signs of mildew or mold on your foundation. If you do, it could be a big clue that your current gutter system isn’t cutting it. Downspouts are a component of gutter systems designed to lead water away from your foundation, and if your foundation is getting wet enough to have mildew, those downspouts are failing.
8. Landscaping damage
When you notice that your landscaping has been eroding, it might be another sign that your gutters are not working properly. When your gutters are faulty, water can be routed the wrong way onto your landscaping. Too-short or damaged downspouts may be the culprit behind landscaping erosion, or it could be the gutters themselves that fail to route water in the correct direction. Regardless, landscaping damage might be a sign that your gutters need an overhaul.
No matter how old your gutters are, it’s a good idea to be on top of the vulnerabilities in your gutter system. So you know when it’s time to get new gutters installed. Gutterworks is here to help when you find yourself in such a position! If you are wondering if you need new gutters our skilled professionals can help you evaluate your gutter needs. Contact us today by emailing mike@gutterworkswv.com or by clicking the button below!