5 Signs You Need to Replace Your Gutters

Your gutters are one of the most important systems in your house, even if they often go unnoticed. If onewere to compare the parts of your home to parts of a human body, gutters would be like the immune system, helping to ward off potentially damaging external invaders. 

In this case, that invader is water, and healthy gutters divert it away from your home so that it doesn’t penetrate your roof or foundation and cause potentially serious damage. But when your gutters aren’t working properly, it puts your entire house in peril. 

That’s why it’s so important to be able to recognize the signs that your gutters are in trouble. These are the five most common signs that you need gutter repair or replacement.

#1: Cracks and Gaps

Leaky gutters are one of the surest signs that gutter replacement is needed, but leaks aren’t always easy to spot when it’s pouring rain outside. Fortunately, cracks and gaps in your gutters are telltale signs of leakage that are easier to notice. 

The seams where your gutters connect are the likeliest places for gaps to appear. Seams are structural weak points, and it’s common for them to start pulling apart over time. When you notice that happening, you know that your gutters are nearing the end of their lifespan. The same is true when cracks and splits start to appear in places other than the seams. 

Small cracks may not seem like a major issue at first, but they only get worse over time, and even relatively small cracks can allow a lot of leakage. And when leaks start to create erosion and damage around your foundation, then you have an even bigger problem on your hands. 

If you’re looking for new gutters to replace your old gutters that are splitting at the seams, consider modern seamless gutters as a longer-lasting option. 

#2: Rust

Rust is a very common issue that affects gutters. Gutters are exposed to water repeatedly over their lifespan, which is a recipe for rust. While a small amount of rust may not pose an immediate threat, it is a sure sign that gutter replacement is in your future. 

Once rust starts, it’s virtually impossible to stop. It will continue to expand and eat away at your gutters until it eventually starts to create cracks and leaks. Scraping off the rust and coating your gutters with a rust-inhibitor can extend the lifespan of your gutters, but ultimately they will not stop rust, merely slow it down. 

Two of the most common gutter materials are aluminum and steel, which are both vulnerable to corrosion and rust over time. Vinyl and PVC gutters are alternatives that won’t rust, but they lack the durability of metal. Another great option is copper gutters, which don’t rust, and can be treated with a sealant to prevent them from oxidizing and turning green. 

#3: Peeling Paint

Peeling paint and rust tend to go hand in hand, and it’s common for one to lead to the other. Peeling paint exposes the metal and allows rust to take hold, and rust can eat its way under paint and allow more paint to start flaking away. 

Most gutters are painted or coated to protect them from the elements. The paint used to coat gutters is designed to withstand a lot of wear and tear, but over a period of many years it is likely to eventually start peeling or flaking in places. When you start to notice peeling paint, that’s a good indication that your gutters are in trouble. 

Standing water in your gutters often causes paint to age and wear out prematurely, which is one of the reasons why it’s important to regularly maintain your gutters and keep them free from debris that can block the flow of water. 

#4: Sagging, Leaning or Pulling

It doesn’t take a gutter expert to recognize that it’s a bad sign when your gutters are sagging, leaning or pulling away from your house. This typically means that either the gutters themselves or the fasteners that hold them have become weak and worn-out with age. 

Gutters also tend to sag and pull away from your house when they become overloaded with more weight that they can handle. This typically results from being clogged with leaves and debris, which prevents gutters from draining and creates a situation in which they are overburdened with standing water. 

Homeowners can prevent this from happening by having their gutters cleaned regularly. But once fasteners start to fail and your gutters visibly bend or sag away from the roof, you will have to have them repaired or replaced. 

Deciding between repair and replacement depends on the severity of the issue. Left unchecked, gutters can become so weighted down that they completely detach from your house.

#5: Water Damage Below Gutters 

Sometimes you don’t even need to look at your gutters to know that something is amiss. The clues will be clearly visible on the ground beneath your gutters. 

Gutters and downspouts are meant to direct water away from your foundation, but when gutters are broken, leaking, overflowing or otherwise failing in some way, water will often fall straight down onto the ground next to your house. It may leave dirt channels and erosion that let you know water isn’t flowing properly, and you might also see large puddles of standing water next to your foundation after a heavy rain. 

Water marks and streaks down the sides of your house below the gutters may also be apparent; after a while, they’ll start to create lines of mildew running down the siding. In severe cases, the water from backed up and overflowing gutters can also start to leak into your basement. 

It’s important to contact a gutter expert whenever you see any of these signs. A professional can diagnose the problem and offer solutions for gutter repair or replacement before the damage becomes more severe.

Learn More About Gutter Repair or Replacement

If you suspect a problem with your gutters, the time to act is now. Contact us today to talk to a professional and schedule a health check on your gutters. Whether you need a quick repair or a full gutter replacement in the Lowcountry, our team at GutterXperts is here to help.