CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE – 202-276-5004 FAMILY.ROOFING@YAHOO.COM
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Common Gutter Issues
Cleaning your gutters isn’t a fun household task. If left unchecked, gutter issues can cause significant structural damage to your home. The main purpose of rain gutters is to collect the runoff water from your roof and channel it away from the foundation. Gutters are constantly battling against the elements to keep that channel open and free of leaks or sags. Once they become clogged or damaged, it’s essential to get them fixed right away to avoid more expensive repairs and damage further down the road.
There are several types of gutter problems that homeowners are likely to encounter. Each has its own potential to cause foundational damage, and each can be easily fixed if caught in time. If you fail to notice these issues before they get out of hand, you’ll need to call a professional for either gutter repair or gutter replacement.
The solutions to these common problems may be as simple as removing debris or patching a hole. They may also be as tedious as rehanging the gutters, but learning how to recognize your unique gutter issue is the first step to fixing it. It’s also critical to know when your gutters need professional attention. If you notice that they have begun to corrode or are completely detached from your home, it’s definitely time to call in the experts.
SAGGING GUTTERS
When there is a dip in the line of your gutters, it invites water to stay there and prevents proper drainage into the ground. This causes excess stress on that section of gutter and may cause the hardware to fail, leading to further sagging or, even worse, a total collapse of the gutter section. As the water begins to leak from this low point, it can cause rotting of the wood in the eaves and eventual erosion of the foundation.
The best solution is to rehang this section of gutter with better hardware before it leads to further damage. If your gutters are sagging so severely that they’re detaching from each other and/or your home, it may be time to call in the experts to replace your system.
To recap, the negative consequences include:
Hardware failure
Incorrect drainage
Foundational rot and erosion
SOLUTION: GUTTER HANGER REPLACEMENT
The remedy to fix sagging rain gutters is often quick and easy. All it takes is tightening the screws that are already there. If you add a few extra screws between those that already exist, you will strengthen the gutter system and prevent the need for future repairs. Replacing your gutter hangers can be a 10-minute task if you have the accessibility and the right tools.
LEAKING GUTTERS
When storm damage hits your home, you may be looking for broken glass or missing shingles, but taking the time to check your gutters for leaks should also be a top priority. If neglected, a leaking gutter can slowly erode the underlying support and foundation below the leak. It may be hard to spot on a clear sunny day. That’s why you should always check for damage directly after a storm to ensure the water is draining as it should.
When gutters begin to corrode and gaping holes and tears appear, the damage is too much to repair, and you’ll want to consult a professional about your replacement options.
Leaking gutters can cause various problems:
Foundation erosion
Gutter corrosion
Hardware failure
SOLUTION: GUTTER HOLE REPAIR
Once you have spotted the leak in your gutter, fixing it is a low-maintenance task. If the hole is small, a bit of plastic roofing cement can be applied using a putty knife. For larger holes, you may want to cut a strip of flashing to cover the hole and secure it with the same application of cement to fix your gutter leak.
IMPROPER GUTTER SLOPE
One of the more challenging gutter issues to spot is an improper gutter slope. This can lead to standing water in your gutter, or worse, water pooling in your gutter at its lowest point. If you notice your gutter failing to drain without any visible leaks, slope could be the issue. It isn’t as easy of a fix as the others but will cause excess stress to your gutter system if not taken care of.
We don’t recommend attempting to fix improperly sloped gutters yourself. Mistakes in gutter slope can cause several problems. Too much or too little leaves your home susceptible to water damage, so it’s essential to call a reputable gutter company that has the right experience and tools.
When a gutter system’s slope is wrong, you may experience:
Hardware failure
Standing or pooling water
Gutter system stress and eventual irreparable damage
REHANG YOUR GUTTERS
The proper slope for gutters is ½ inch over 10 feet, but if the gutter is more than 40 feet long, you may want to pitch it in the middle to two different drainage spouts. To fix a gutter slope, you will need to rehang the gutter by taking out the hardware and remeasuring the pitch. This can be done solo but would be much easier with a partner who knows a bit about how to fix a gutter slope and has the right tools.
CLOGGED OR BLOCKED GUTTERS
The most common issue for any homeowner is dirty gutters. Each fall and spring, you will need to climb around the whole perimeter of your roof to clean out the clogged gutters. Full gutters will lead to gutter drainage issues, ultimately causing the gutters to overflow, which results in foundational erosion due to continuous water damage. Luckily the most common problem also has the most straightforward solution.
Despite the simple solution, clogged gutters can cause serious problems:
Foundational erosion
Small animals are attracted to dirty gutters
Hardware failure
SOLUTION: DEBRIS REMOVAL
It’s a dirty job, but one that needs to be done before it can cause further damage. To fix gutters that overflow, you’ll need to get up on a ladder and remove the debris that has accumulated over the year. A great way to avoid this recurring issue is to install gutter guards. They come in various styles, all of which will help keep the majority of debris out of your gutters.
GUTTER DAMAGE
Without the proper maintenance and attention to detail, gutter damage is almost impossible to avoid. Even if your home is located far from falling trees and hail zones, gutter erosion will happen if you fail to maintain your gutters correctly.
RESECURE GUTTERS OR REPLACE THEM
Replacing your gutters can be an expensive task, and it can be hard to tell whether they need to be repaired or replaced.
Gutter Joint Separation
If the gutters are pulling apart from one another, this is a common problem that is typically caused by clogs and debris accumulation. The joint areas of the gutters are vulnerable to separation due to the weight of water and clogs in the system. Keep in mind that caulk or glue typically isn’t strong enough to join two gutter pieces back together. You’ll need to use rivets for separated gutter sections. This is accomplished by drilling holes in overlapping edges in the sections and inserting 1/8th-inch rivets. This will secure the joints together securely.
Bad Downspout Draining
Not only do your gutters need sloped at a precise angle, but the downspouts need specific direction as well. If downspouts drain too close to the home, this can also result in pooling water around the home. If you’re installing downspouts on your gutter system, be sure that they extend several feet from your home. Otherwise, they’ll dump water right into your basement or pool on the ground beside the foundation.
Inadequate guttering
If your guttering system is incorrectly sized for the needs of your property, it could be the reason that none of the other fixes have worked for you. No matter how clean or well maintained the system is, if it is not designed to properly cope with the amount of water running off your roof, it is always going to fail.
How to fix inadequate guttering
Unfortunately, your opinions here are a bit limited. You can try to increase the capacity of your guttering system but making sure there is a sufficient fall to the gutters and/or by adding additional downpipes or moving the existing one to the center of the gutter run.
HOW TO PREVENT FUTURE GUTTER PROBLEMS
The majority of gutter issues can be prevented with regular and proper maintenance. If you’re a new homeowner or looking to extend the life of your gutters, add these maintenance tips to your spring cleaning list.
Clean your gutters: A quick lap around your house will ensure proper drainage all season long
Check for leaks: After a storm is the best time to spot any improper drainage throughout a gutter system
Look for sags: It is better to catch a slight sag early on than have to repair a collapsed gutter months down the line
Check the pitch: You may consider bringing a level with you while you clean the gutters to ensure they are properly sloped toward the drain
Look for damage: After each storm, check for major damage and make a call to repair it right away
CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE – 202-276-5004 FAMILY.ROOFING@YAHOO.COM
When there is a dip in the line of your gutters, it invites water to stay there and prevents proper drainage into the ground. This causes excess stress on that section of gutter and may cause the hardware to fail, leading to further sagging or, even worse, a total collapse of the gutter section. As the water begins to leak from this low point, it can cause rotting of the wood in the eaves and eventual erosion of the foundation.
IMPROPER GUTTER SLOPE
