5 SIGNS IT'S TIME TO REPLACE YOUR GUTTERS
Are you noticing cracks, splits or separated gutters? The weakest point of a gutter system are seams. Seams are where two pieces of gutters are connected to create one flowing gutter. When these seams begin to pull away from each other the gutters are nearing the end of their journey on your home. Although seams are not the only places where you could see signs of this. Splitting or cracking anywhere in your gutters is also a sign your should really consider your replacement sooner rather than later. Even the smallest crack is a dangerous warning sign your system is weakening and will only grow worse over time. As cold weather starts to play a hand it helping those cracks spread, ice can seep into those small splits and cause them to expand.
When updating your gutter system. Think about going seamless route where you do not have to worry anymore about seams becoming weak as time wears on. Gutter Shutter of Greater Atlanta has an amazing all in one system with a lifetime warranty!
What about peeling paint or spots of rusting? Most homeowners think nothing of the paint peeling away from their gutters and chalk it up to paint doing what it does. However, paint protects your gutters from rain and water. When the paint starts to flake off not too long behind that comes rust. Rusty gutters or rust flakes on the ground near your foundation indicates damage is not too far behind. Rust spots turn into holes and holes in gutters can lead to costly repairs not only to the siding of your home but, holes in your gutters can lead to soil erosion and damage to other areas on your home.
Perhaps a more tale tale sign that you are in need of a gutter replacement is that your gutters are sagging our pulling away from the roof. This is in indication of one of two things. The first, YOUR GUTTERS ARE TOO FULL OF WATER. Meaning they are not draining correctly and the water is just sitting in the gutters pulling them away from your roof or fascia board. Or two, your gutter fasteners have work out. After a while the gutter hangers that hold the gutters to your home will wear out. As this begins to happen your gutters will sag and pull away from your home. This is usually a sign that the gutters have given up or that the fascia behind those gutters has had so much water draining onto it the wood has began to rot. Whichever (if not both) could cost you so much more than just a gutter replacement if not handled immediately.
Notice those pools of water or dirt channels close to your homes foundation? Those big empty spaces where dirt/soil once was has now been washed away do to an excessive amount of water pooling around the edge of the home near the foundation. This is a sign that your gutters are not properly moving water away from your home through the downspouts but, rather spilling over the tops of the gutters landing in waterfall like fashion at the base of your home. The longer this happens the more likely you are to notice signs of foundation issues.
And the last probably most important, and most definitely NOT TO BE IGNORED sign that its time for a gutter replacement is a FLOODED BASEMENT. Gutters that are fully functioning direct water away from your landscaping around your home and foundation. When your gutter system has reached the end of its lifespan they are no longer able to move that water away from this area and you will soon notice water intrusion into your basement. This could quickly escalate to full on flooding of your basement causing water damage to your siding, sheetrock and much much more.
If you have noticed ANY or ALL of these five signs its more than time to consult a professional on how best to solve your gutter problems. Let the experts here at Gutter Shutter of Greater Atlanta come out and provide you a complimentary evaluation on your gutter protection system. These evaluations are no obligation but, crucial for protecting your home from serious water damage that could lead to astronomical costs on foundation repairs.