Rain gutters play a crucial role in the functioning of your home by directing rainwater away from the foundation. Problems with your gutters can allow water to build up and intrude into your home, significantly impacting its safety. These problems typically worsen over time, resulting in more intensive and costly repair work, so it is essential to seek professional repair services immediately when you begin noticing problems.

Know When You Need Repairs

Monitor your gutters for the following signs that indicate you need to schedule a gutter repair:

• Cracks and splits. Even the smallest cracks will grow over time, especially during the colder months of the year. When accumulated water freezes, it expands, putting pressure on your gutters and widening any existing cracks even further.
• Overflowing gutters. Rain gutters that are too narrow for your home or have been improperly installed can overflow.
• Standing water. Standing water suggests a blockage in your rain gutter or downspout is preventing your gutters from functioning properly.
• Sagging gutters. When rain gutters begin to sag and pull away from your home’s roof or exterior walls, this indicates they are under excess strain and will likely require replacement.
• Rust. Excessive rainfall and lack of regular maintenance can cause gutters to rust. Rusted sections must be replaced before they crack and shatter.
• Peeling paint. Rain gutters made of galvanized steel feature coatings that help protect them from moisture that can cause rust. Peeling paint signals moisture damage has begun to affect the gutters beneath this protective coating.
• Water damage spots. Discoloration on your home’s exterior walls, fascia, or downspouts suggests moisture damage, meaning you need a gutter replacement before the damage becomes worse.
• Cracks in foundation, Cracking foundation results from the intrusion of moisture into the soil surrounding your home. As the soil erodes, the foundation will continue to absorb water and may begin to shift, crack, and even break. This seriously compromises the structural integrity of your home and requires prompt attention.

Gutter Repairs to Protect Your Home

Keeping up with maintaining and repairing your rain gutters is essential to protecting your home from the damaging elements of the outdoors. While there are many minor repairs and maintenance tasks you can do on your own, many homeowners choose to hire a roofing professional to handle these jobs and ensure they are done correctly. Consider the following repairs that can keep your gutters in top shape.

• Cleaning out debris. When leaves, twigs, and other debris fill up your rain gutters, it can lead to clogs and backups, which may damage your roof, your siding, the interior of your home, and even your foundation. It is essential to clean your gutters out at least once a year or hire a professional to do the job for you. There are also filters available to be installed over your gutters to prevent them from filling up with unwanted debris.
• Fixing loose gutters. If you notice that your gutters are coming loose from the edge of your roof, it is vital to get the issue repaired as soon as possible. Even a minimal gap between the fascia board and the gutter can cause problems that will cost you much more down the road. If you see any gap from the ground, chances are your gutter is coming loose.
  You can also inspect your gutters from a few steps back to see if they are straight the whole way across their length. If you see a section that sags, that indicates an area where water may get trapped and not drain properly. These loose areas will need to be re-secured and possibly re-pitched.

Last, if you notice that the front lip of the gutter is pulling down and you can see the inside of the gutter, water may pour out over the edge when it rains. The gutter may be loose, or the tilt may just be off, but you will want to have it repaired regardless of the cause.

• Repairing loose and missing gutter spikes. When you conduct a visual inspection of your gutters, you may notice that the gutter spikes are loose. These spikes look like big nails that go through the gutter and into your home’s fascia and act as anchors that hold your gutters to the wall. Some homes do not have gutter spikes, as newer methods of securing gutters to the home have become popular options.

If your home does have gutter spikes and they are sticking out, you will want to have them nailed back into place. It is important, however, to have a contractor inspect the fascia board, especially if you see a lot of gutter spikes loose in the same area. This may be an indication that the fascia is rotting and needs to be replaced.

Missing gutter spikes are another common problem that homeowners face. When the spikes fall out completely, they leave a hole beyond that allows water to pour out. It also places a burden on the remaining gutter spikes, which may cause them to become loose and eventually fall out.

• Getting sagging gutters fixed. If a gutter becomes loose in any one area, you may notice sagging. This is a common occurrence in the center of long sections of rain gutter, although it may happen anywhere. You will notice a dip in the gutter if you are experiencing this problem. Your contractor will easily be able to fix this issue by securing the gutter with new hardware. It is crucial to get this problem fixed right away, as sagging gutters will eventually fall, and when they do, they may take some of your fasciae down with them.
• Keep an eye out for dents. When you look at your gutters, you may notice that they have become dented by falling tree branches and other items. When snow and ice buildup in your gutters, it may also cause them to become dented. When this happens, your gutters will no longer sit against the wall properly, and water may get to the fascia board and cause damage. It may also allow water to run down the wall and get into doors and windows. In most cases, you will need to have your contractor replace this section of rain gutter, as there is really no way to repair the existing dented gutter.
• Be sure to look for holes. If you see any holes in your gutters, they may be a result of falling debris or rust. No matter what caused the holes, you will want to have these sections of gutter replaced as soon as you can, as they may allow water to reach parts of your home where it can cause costly damages.

Trust Your Gutter Repairs to a Reliable Roofing Contractor

As soon as you notice any of the above signs, contact Far West Roofing immediately to schedule an evaluation by one of our trained experts. You can reach us by calling at (801) 618-2644 or submitting a request for information.