Is there something wrong with your roof?  Your landscaping?  How about your basement? How would you know if you had a problem?  You might be surprised that one way to learn about what’s going on with your home and what needs to be fixed is by examining the debris found in your gutters.  Take a look at how gutter debris can help you identify common repair issues with your home.

TOO MUCH OVERHANG

Leaves, twigs, and branches are all things that you would expect to find in your gutters at any time, so it’s not a surprise when they eventually clog your gutters.  While a clog once in a while is normal, especially if it’s been a long time since you cleaned out your gutters or there’s recently been a big storm that blew a lot of debris into your gutters. 

But if your gutters are clogging up over and over again, then it speaks to a bigger problem.  You might have too many trees overhanging your house.  If so, tree-trimming services might be what you need.  Not only can too much falling foliage clog your gutter, but it can also be a sign that the branches overhanging your home are too full and heavy, which could be dangerous.  Tree trimming could make you safer. 

If the branches have been trimmed and kept safe and you still have too much debris in your gutters, another good option is to get gutter guards.  These keep falling leaves and debris out of your gutter, so you can keep your home in the shade and keep your gutters clear.

ROOF PARTS IN YOUR GUTTERS

Your gutters could be an early sign that you have a problem with your roof and will need to replace it soon.  However, the signs may take a little bit of extra looking to see.  You can expect to find dirt in your gutters but check it more closely next time – it may not all be just dirt.  What you might see is some of the granules that cover your shingles or roll roofing. These granules look like coarse dirt, and if they’re coming off of your roof in large amounts, it might be a sign that your roof is weakening. 

You might even see other signs of weakening in your gutters, like bits of wood or pieces of shingle that indicate that your roof has either been damaged or is decaying. Have this checked out by a roofer because you might need work done to strengthen your roof and stay compliant with your roofing warranty. 

WATER OVERFLOWING YOUR GUTTERS

Gutters are supposed to redirect water from your home, not let it spill over the sides.

When it rains, the water is supposed to travel through your gutters to the downspout, then out over the splash pad, reducing the impact of the water on your landscaping. If you notice that the water is pouring over the sides of your gutters and straight to the ground instead, that’s a pretty good sign that something is up with your gutters. It also might mean problems with other parts of your house.

The fact is, the gutters prevent leaks in the foundation and basement by redirecting water away from the house. If you notice that the water is not being diverted, you may be developing a leak in your foundation or basement and should check. This problem could be caused by clogged or damaged gutters or by gutters that are too small. Either way, water pouring over the sides is a sign that you need to have your gutters checked out.

Problems With Gutter Sealing

While you may not think about it much the manner in which gutters are constructed plays an important role when it comes to potential problem areas.  Specifically at the seams where one gutter attaches to the next gutter leaks often develop.  These leaks are a result of the sealer used that is in place to help bond the pieces of gutter together.  While the gutter pieces are held together with rivets, it takes a tight bond to keep water from leaking.

That tight bond is provided by sealer.  Over time that sealer can slowly erode away, when that happens you will notice a small amount of water dripping from the joint where your gutter pieces are connected.  While this may not seem like a major problem, you have to remember that it only takes a little bit of water in the wrong place to cause major issues such as black mold.

Damaged Gutter Hangers

Another common gutter repair issue you may have to contend with are damaged gutter hangers.  Gutter hangers are mounted to your house and are used to hold the gutter in place. Since water is meant to flow along and exit gutters there shouldn’t be a lot of weight on them even when there is heavy rain happening.  But over time dirt and debris add weight to gutters, which puts additional strain on the gutter hangers.  When it rains this strain becomes an even bigger problem because it restricts the flow of water as it flows along.

The water can also saturate the debris so that even when the rain stops there is additional weight, which means additional strain on your gutter hangers.  All of this adds up to your gutter hangers being bent over time which will cause your gutters to leak and affect where water ends up being diverted to.  This can then lead to water infiltrating your home, which then means dealing with structural damage and toxic black mold.

Gutters That Need Leveling Out

Frequently gutters that are leveling out is a major problem and is a common type of gutter repair that is needed.  You may not notice it when you look at them, but your gutters are actually installed with a slight pitch.  This slight pitch is simply a way to ensure that water flows quickly as it is entering the gutters.  So what causes gutters to level out?  It can be damage to the gutter hangers, or it can be a build up of debris that are weighing the gutters down.

It can also be caused by your gutters bending and deforming over time.  The bottom line here is that when your gutters are leveled out water does not flow out of them efficiently. When water doesn’t flow out of them efficiently it tends to cause other problems and places additional strain on your gutters.

Clogged Gutters

When it comes to gutter repair having to deal with clogged gutters is probably the most common issue that you are going to encounter.  How common is it?  Well, if you have gutters then they are going to get clogged at some point.  It really is inevitable.  You can have gutter guards installed to help prevent it, but eventually you are going to end up with dirt and debris building up in your gutters.

Having clogged gutters is a fairly easy fix, but if you try to do it yourself you may be surprised at just how labor intensive it actually is.  When your gutters are clogged water won’t flow properly, which means it is more likely to end up getting into places you don’t want it to.  The additional weight added to your gutters from the debris lodged in them can also contribute to your gutters leveling out, your gutters deforming, and your gutter hangers becoming damaged as well.  Clogged gutters are a common problem, and they are a problem you can’t afford to ignore.