6 Common Gutter Problems

Rain gutters serve an essential purpose when it comes to protecting a home. Gutters direct rainfall away from your property, preserving the roof, walls and foundation.

Keeping your rain gutters clean and well maintained with Discount Gutter Services in McKinney can prevent rain from wreaking havoc on your home and will help to prevent basement flooding, leaks appearing and problems with damp.

There are multiple routine rain gutter problems to be aware of that could hinder them from functioning optimally and looking after your property. These include:

• Blocked Rain Gutters
• Leaks and Holes
• Damaged Rain Gutters
• Drooping Gutters
• Improperly Pitched Rain Gutters
• Downspout Problems

Not all properties have rain gutters, or they may have be missing segments or have insufficient rain gutters installed. In this case, additional gutters should be installed professionally to ensure they are adequately fitted and adequate for their purpose.

Blocked Gutters

Blocked rain gutters are the most frequent gutter issue as rain gutters may get clogged by many debris. Leaves and other matter than blows onto the roof is often washed into rain gutters. In addition to leaves and debris seeds that either blow in or get deposited by bird droppings could result in seedling taking root in your rain gutters. As well as birds and other pests setting up home.

When detritus builds up it may quickly lead to a blockage which could result in gutter damage in addition to damage to your roof and foundations.

Luckily sorting the issue is usually simple and you should broadly stop the issue from happening with regular inspections and maintenance. If your rain gutters are clogged you need to get up to the gutter and clear the detritus or ask a gutter service firm to come and do it for you. Ideally you want to be inspecting and performing any maintenance required twice a year in spring and fall.

Leaks and Holes

Leaks in the joins and cracks are again a fairly commonplace issue, in particular for homes that do not have seamless gutters. Rain Gutters are prone to coming apart at the joins when they become clogged and subjected to greater weight.

However, holes and leaks can form in seamless gutters and can also appear where the gutter has corroded or more often where hardware has degraded.

Fixing gutter joints is best done with rivets rather than any form of glue as rivets provide a stronger and longer-lasting solution. This can be done yourself with the right tools or you can call in the professionals to do it for you.

Loose or Damaged Rain Gutters

Rain Gutters could easily become loose over time. This could happen for a number of issues including clogging and ice dams. If you notice your gutters have come away from the building or been impaired in any way this is a fault that should not be ignored as damaged rain gutters could have far reaching implications for your property.

Ensuring you check gutters frequently may mean you notice any loose or damaged rain gutters before they become a problem. Making repairs will be contingent on the problem however accessories may normally be either adjusted or replaced and broken sections of gutter can be removed and changed either professionally or you can do this yourself if you feel confident.

Sagging Gutters

Bending warping

Gutters can easily begin to bend or droop over time particularly if they have not been given adequate maintenance. And it’s not only the gutter itself that could begin to degrade, so may the fixings used to fix them to the property.

This could result in gutters pulling away from the side of the wall and not working as they should as water is no longer caught and channelled away.

Broadly speaking once rain gutters start to bend and sag the affected sections will need to be replaced. You could either do this yourself if you have the time and the correct tools alternatively you can hire a professional gutter service firm.

Incorrectly Fitted Rain Gutters

On top of needing to be clear and well-maintained rain gutters also need to be pitched properly in order to drain. This means they require an adequate slope to help the rainfall drain effectively.

Correctly installed rain gutters should slope roughly ¼ of an inch for each 10 feet. Too much and the rain gutters are unable to perform at full capacity, if the pitch is too little the water may collect and become stagnant attracting pests, or pour out resulting in other problems for the building.

Incorrectly installed gutters should be adjusted to make sure they have the correct slope and can function effectively. This can be a time-consuming task so might be best left to a reputable gutter maintenance firm.

Downspout Faults

Downpipes are an important component of your gutter installation, they should to be maintained just like the rest of your rain gutter system. Downpipes also should be properly directed away from the base of your property as otherwise, you could find rainfall gathering at the foundations resulting in basement flooding and even structural damage.

Gutters are designed to transport water a safe distance from your building but they may only do this when the downpipes are properly installed and adequately maintained. If you think your downspout could be blocked you should clear it or have it cleared as soon as possible and ensure that rain is being conveyed a sufficient distance away from the base of your building.

Gutter maintenance, inspection and repairs can be dangerous and you should always ensure you are safe. making sure you have gloves and protective eyewear is advisable and you should always ensure you have some holding a ladder if you are using one.

Gutter maintenance may be time consuming and unappealing resulting in it often being put off but this can result in far reaching complications. Make sure you schedule gutter inspections and maintenance to preserve all aspects of your property. Hiring a gutter installation company may feel expensive but can save you huge amounts of money in the longer term.