When it comes to protecting your home from water damage and structural issues, your gutter system is the best way to achieve this. Your gutters and downspouts are a vital feature of your house whose main purpose is to collect rainwater from your roof and direct it away from your home’s foundation and landscaping.
Unfortunately, gutters are constantly battling against different elements that prevent them from functioning properly. Knowing some common gutter defects and learning how to resolve them can help with its upkeep.
In this post, we outline four common gutter issues you need to watch out for that may arise as a result of poor gutter installation.
Clogged Gutters
Clogged gutters are one of the most common defects you should be on the lookout for. Gutters typically get clogged with leaves, sticks, and other debris which prevent them from doing their job properly, increasing the chances of water damage to your property.
Besides debris, rainwater can also accumulate inside the gutters, causing them to rust and even deteriorate the fascia and roof.
The best way to prevent this is to have your gutters regularly cleaned. You can do it yourself or call up local professionals to do it for you. For instance, if you live in Greensboro, NC, look for the best Greensboro NC gutter installation and maintenance services in your area to improve the efficiency of your gutter system.
Sagging Gutters
A dip in your gutters can invite water to remain there, preventing proper drainage into the ground. This can cause excess strain on the gutters and lead to hardware failure, further sagging, or even complete collapse. Water can leak from this point and cause rot in the eaves and potential erosion of the foundation.
The best solution for this common gutter issue is to rehang this section of the gutters with newer hardware before any further damage occurs. Since this may be a more complex project, it is best that you give it up to the pros to fix or replace your entire gutter system, if necessary.
If you need help determining whether you have sagging gutters, take a closer look at your gutter hangers and check if they are loose and if there is water overflowing.
Leaking Gutters
Leaky gutters are another common issue you should watch out for. This problem occurs as a result of sunlight, dirt, stagnant water, and temperature changes, all of which can deteriorate the material of the gutters over time until they rust and rupture.
If not treated on time, it can cause cracks, holes, and gaps in the gutter system and water can easily pass through, which can lead to water damage to the structure of your home, the walls, and the roof.
Besides performing regular checkups, it is also essential that you choose the right material for your gutters. Experts usually recommend going for seamless gutters since they tend to develop fewer cracks and holes, reducing the chances of potential leaks.
Broken Gutters or Downspouts
The downspouts are an important part of the gutter system because their main purpose is to direct the water to appropriate areas outside of your home, away from the foundation and landscaping. If they are broken for whatever reason, they need to be repaired immediately because otherwise, you will be facing serious structural problems.
As broken downspouts can easily send water to the wrong place, broken gutters can cause the entire installation to malfunction. So, if your gutter installation recently faced high winds, excessive rainfall, clogging, sagging, or leaking, then it may be high time that you upgrade your gutter system.
Mistakes to avoid when installing gutters
Although many homeowners often decide to take up gutter installation on their own, there is a greater possibility of making some mistakes that can reduce the efficiency of the gutters. Some of the most common mistakes that can occur due to poor gutter installation include:
- Wrong gutter placement;
- Choosing the wrong type of gutter;
- Choosing the cheaper options;
- Picking the wrong gutter size;
- Improper pitch;
- Improper hanger spacing;
- Damaging the gutters during installation.
That’s why it is recommended that you leave gutter installation to the experts who have the knowledge, skills, and equipment to install a fully functioning gutter system.
Final thoughts
Serving as one of the most vital features of a home, the importance of having a properly installed gutter system cannot be overlooked. Hiring experts to install the right type of gutters and downspouts for your home provides you with plenty of benefits, including preventing serious structural issues and saving you lots of money on repair costs.
To ensure your gutter system is working fine, watch out for the signs mentioned in this post.
