Gutter Service

Homeownership is full of ups and downs. Wondering whether your gutters will hold up to the next big storm shouldn’t even be on your radar. To most homeowners, gutters tend to be appreciated but seldom noticed. This can be problematic as time passes and seasons take their toll on a gutter system. Even though steel and aluminum gutters can last for upwards of 25 years, and copper can last for up to 60 years, most homeowners only get this type of durability by engaging in timely, biannual maintenance, preferably during the winter and fall seasons. With all that said, it’s important to know when a gutter problem can easily be repaired and how to tell if you need new gutters altogether.

Gutters are very important to your home. If rain flows off your roof and you have no gutters, the water causes massive erosion, washing away more and more soil each time it rains. This causes your carefully sloped landscape to wear down, allowing runoff to flow toward your home instead of away from it. Erosion also causes the foundation to settle. 

Most gutters will need to be repaired or replaced eventually to help protect your home. 

Gutters keep your roof safe also. When your roof is constantly wet in one spot, roof rot, mold and leaks can easily occur. By upgrading your gutters, you won’t have to worry about overflowing gutters reducing your roof’s lifespan. When you have new gutters correctly installed, you will keep your roof’s underlayment dry and keep water out of your basement or crawlspace, increasing the lifespan of your home.

The difference between gutter repair or replacement comes down to the extent of damage along a given gutter. If the problems are large and cover significant portions of the gutter, an all-out replacement of the gutter is your best bet. If, however, the problems are small and confined, the existing gutter can probably be retained for the time being with repair work on those troubled spots.

Keep an eye out for warning signs that your gutter system needs to be cleaned, repaired or replaced.

Are you seeing small cracks? While small cracks in your gutters may not seem like a big issue, small cracks will eventually turn into big ones, and it may happen sooner than you think. If you allow cracks to remain, you take a chance of damaging the fascia boards behind the gutters, the shingles about the gutter and the foundation below.

The paint on your gutter is designed to withstand the typical wear and tear throughout the seasons. Peeling paint or orange flecks from the beginning stages of rust are an indicator that water is present on a continuous basis. This could indicate water is not being removed by the gutter or that cracks or other damage may be present

Pools of water or signs of mildew around your home’s foundation are good signs that your gutters are not working correctly. Gutters are designed with the purpose of keeping water flowing away from your home’s foundation. This could be caused by something as simple as a clog or by something as complex as a defect in the gutter system. Water can easily cause foundation damage leading to costly, time-consuming repairs.

Water damage or marks underneath the gutter indicate that leaking or overflowing water is escaping the gutter. This type of water intrusion can cause damage to your soffit, the part of the overhang where your roof meets your siding, and fascia board. 

Sagging gutters? This is one of the easiest ways to tell you need gutter repairs or gutter replacement because you don’t need to be on a ladder to notice it. Gutters should never sag or pull away from the home. This can indicate that the gutters are full of water and pulling away from the house due to the weight. Sagging gutters could require significant cost or hassle to repair. A full gutter means that the gutter system may not be appropriate for the home, its draining improperly or debris is causing blockage.

Everybody likes new and improved, but it can be expensive to keep up to date with current home improvement trends. New gutters are one of the few home improvements that will increase the value of your home. Upgrading and adding on to your home almost always increases the value of your home if the job is done right. Installing new gutters can raise your home’s value because it increases the lifespan and functionality of your home and adds cosmetic appeal. 

With 10+ years experience at Cootes Farms Roofing, let us help you decide if you need a replacement or repair.