Roofing: How to Tell If Your Gutters Require Repairs

When it comes to care and maintenance for your roof, it is not uncommon to find much of the attention is focused on the replacement of shingles, painting and keeping the structure free of debris. An element that is easy to overlook is your gutters, especially during the warmer seasons when there is little to no rain in the weather forecast. However, your gutters require just as much care and maintenance as your roof itself. Failure to do leads to damages going undetected and this can result in the compromising of your structures walls, insulation and even the foundation. Knowing what signs to look for will ensure that your gutters are attended to before their damage can affect your home's structure. So how can you tell if your gutters require roofing repairs?

Your gutters have come loose

A telltale sign of gutters that re in dire need of repair is if they have become loose. Loose gutters will not have the ability to bear the weight of the collecting inside them, especially if it is a torrential storm. If not fixed, the gutters can come off altogether due to the sheer volume of water that they are exposed to. It would be prudent to check if the fasteners have become damaged and need replacing or if the fasteners simply need tightening to restore their functionality.

Your gutters are corroded

Over time, your gutters may develop a brown or arrange tinge on their surface. This is a sure fire sign that they have started corroding. However, some homeowners may ignore this problem, assuming it is simply an aesthetic issue. If you are using your gutters for rainwater harvesting, corrosion would be a serious issue as it could mean the water you are collecting is being contaminated as it passes through the gutters. Secondly, corrosion on your gutters means that their structural intertie is being compromised. Left unchecked, the rusting can lead to the development of cracks in the gutters, which would eventually lead to ones in your gutters. To eliminate this problem, you may want to consider replacing them with PVC gutters that will not be susceptible to corrosion.

Your walls have water stains

In some cases, malfunctioning gutters will manifest by not adequately redirecting water away from your structure. Over time, this water starts to seep into your walls and will form water stains. If not detected in good time, the water will also make its way down into your foundation and this can be detrimental to your structure.