Terri Ramsey Beavers Have you checked your gutters recently? If not, then you might be in for a rather nasty surprise. Many people don’t realize that gutters can easily get clogged, especially when there’s been a recent weather event such as high-speed winds or even snow.
Certain periods of the year, such as autumn, can also cause a lot of debris to fly around in the wind due to leaves falling off of trees. While this debris can seem harmless at first, it’s easy for it to fall onto your roof and then slide into your gutters, clogging them up and causing a number of issues.
So to help you prevent this from damaging your roof or even the structure of your home, here are some of the common gutter problems to look out for.
Is water overflowing from your gutters?
If so, then you’ve probably got a blocked gutter. Gutters are essentially open pipes that direct water away from the structure of your home. Water and debris fall onto your roof, slides into these pipes, and are then directed into your lawn or the street. However, these pipes can get blocked due to debris or even ice. This means that when it rains, you might notice water overflowing from your gutters. If you also notice that no water comes out from the downpipe, then the blockage is usually located somewhere along the gutter.
This is an easy fix since all you need to do is remove the blockage. However, you should keep in mind that it’s dangerous to climb up onto your roof without assistance, such as someone holding a ladder. Unless you’re experienced in climbing your roof and other DIY safety tips, you should leave this up to a professional.
Your gutter is cracked or broken
Gutters don’t really break very often because they’re just there to direct water, and they’re usually made from fairly solid materials.
However, if you notice that there are cracks and splits due to years of wear and tear or even freezing and thawing in winter, then it’s a good idea to consider a gutter installation service to help you replace them. While cracked and split gutters can be temporarily repaired by sealing the holes, it’s generally a better idea to replace them entirely especially if you’re not currently in a rainy season.
Your gutters are sagging away from your house
Gutters need to be supported in order to hold their position. If not, then they could sag away from the house and fail to collect and direct water away from your property.
If this is the case for you, then it’s possible that the gutters have just lost their supporting brackets due to a loose or missing screw. However, it could also be caused by your gutters being overloaded due to a debris blockage, weighing it down, and pulling it away from your home. Depending on the damage, it may be possible to just push the gutters back into place and install new support brackets. Otherwise, you may need to replace them if the gutters themselves are damaged.