As a homeowner, gutters might be the last thing on your mind right now, with all the things you have to worry about. The only problem would be that if your gutters stopped functioning suddenly, your home wouldn’t be able to drain properly. In addition to soaking its walls, water would also damage the structure and environment around it. Thus, if you needed repairs, you would be forced to spend a lot of money on them.
Keeping your gutters clean every three months will prevent such a hassle. In addition, you’ll need to replace your gutters when necessary – for example, if they are old (over 20 years) or have been subjected to heavy storms. If you wait too long, the damage will become more severe and costly, so act as soon as possible.
5 Telltale Signs You Need a Gutter Replacement
You should contact your roofing contractor if you observe any of these signs:
- Large dents, holes, and rust spots
It is likely that you can repair any age spots, cracks, or holes with some sealant and your existing gutters will probably last for a few more years. In the event of more than a half-dozen occurrences, it might be more time and cost-effective to simply replace your gutters. - Gaps, detached and sagging gutters
Even a small hole in your facade will allow water to leak in and ruin it, let alone a whole section of the gutter. - Paint peeling off the exterior walls
Peeling and rotting exteriors usually indicate water has reached the house’s siding a long time ago. Check directly above the peeling area as that’s more than likely the source of the water. - Rot and mould
Mould develops in about a day after the water reaches the walls. Therefore, you should fix your gutters as soon as possible. Moulds are not only offensive to the eye and nose, but they are also extremely harmful to health. You should not breathe it in and call a mould specialist as soon as possible. - Landscape damage
Any clogged gutter will cause any excess water to overflow, resulting in wet grounds and a soaked house. The lawn will most likely have pools of water and the plants will likely be damaged in that case.
Other Things to Keep in Mind
If you need to replace your gutters, you can upgrade them to make them more durable and less prone to damage. The sectional gutter is an old concept, for starters. Seamless gutters tend to be more popular these days because they have fewer seams and thus fewer leakage points.
The second point is that bigger is better in this case. It’s simple – the larger your gutters and downspouts, the better they can handle water. As a final step, you may also want to consider installing gutter guards. This will make sure that your gutters do not clog.
Are you wondering how gutters work? Get in touch with Ridge Valley Exteriors today at 844-741-ROOF! Any gutter or roofing questions that you may have will be answered by our team of experienced Tampa Roofing Contractors.
We serve Kennesaw, GA, Raleigh, NC. Tampa, and Marco Island, FL.
