Signs that tell your gutters are not working properly
The life span of a rain gutter system depends on varied factors. The material they are made of and how they are attached are two of the most important ones. The standard seamless aluminum gutters (gauge 0.27) usually hold their own between 25 and 30 years and are the most popular ones in the Seattle area. On the other hand, Copper and Zinc gutters or commercial gauge stainless steel gutters can last for about half a century.
Other external elements such as weather conditions, fallen tree branches or roof chemicals can reduce the lifetime of your gutters and downspouts.
Gutter systems have their own ways to tell us it is time for a gutter replacement, so there is no need to know when they were installed or how thick they are to recognize when you need to start your renovation project. These are signs that will let you know when it is the moment, so you don’t replace a functional gutter system or let your dysfunctional gutter lead to water damage in other structures of the house.
10 common signs that indicate you need gutter replacement
- Fallen gutters: Once a gutter is on the ground, the piece of gutter will need to be replaced by a new one. Even when gutters are fairly new, they get damaged and can’t be reattached, so the piece of gutter needs to be changed.
- Cracks, holes and rust spots: These signs are indicating that the gutters have reached the end of their useful life cycle and the materials are already showing signs of degradation.
- Dripping joints: While this is something that can be fixed temporarily, if the drip persists or increases, it is a clear sign that that gutter repair is not enough and it needs to be replaced.
- Old gutters improperly sloped: In gutters that do not have a correct slope, water tends to pool in certain sections and spill over. If these gutters are between 15 and 20 years old, they will probably be nailed to the house, and this makes it impossible to correct this slope without replacing the gutter with a new one that is attached with screws.
- Sagging gutters or gutters coming detached: When gutters separate from the fascia board, it usually means it is time for new gutters. This could also be a sign of rotten fascia boards. Once the wood is rotten, it can’t hold the weight of the gutter and the gutter come detached.
- Dented gutters: Although this is an aesthetic issue, it is one of the reasons why gutter sections or downspouts are often replaced.
- Shooting over: Sometimes water runs over the gutter, and it is common on the spots where the water runs faster or there is a bigger amount of water coming from the roof. This could happen, for example, in valleys or steeped metal roofs, and it means that a bigger gutter profile needs to be used, at least, in that particular section.
- Broken gutter hangers: Gutter hangers are the pieces that fasten the gutter to the house structure. Sometimes hangers can be just replaced, but other times when the hanger brakes, it damages the metal in the gutter, and it can’t be substitute for a new one.
- Finding nails or screws on the ground: Finding the nails or screws that hold the gutter on the ground is an indication of gutter wearing, and therefore, a sign that is time to change your gutter system.
- Signs in structures around: There are signs that can be found around the house and on the building structure itself that indicate that the gutters are not functioning properly. These are signs of water damage because of the constant pouring, such as erosion in the soil, splashing on the walls, water channels in the soil, puddles where the water is falling, and even flooded basements and damage to the structure of the house.
As a final comment, keep in mind that if you only have one piece of gutter affected and that piece is attached by corners to other pieces, it will probably be necessary to replace all the sections up to the end of the entire section. From end cap to end cap.
If you still have doubts about whether it is time to change your gutters, contact us and we will schedule a visit to clear your doubts. And if the time has come to take the step towards your new gutter system, you can take a look at the gutter and downspout profiles that you can find at Amigo Gutters and get in touch with us by filling out the contact form on our website.
