Gutter damage is an issue that can lead to numerous water-related problems for your home. Taking care of gutter protection is essential to prevent damage to the gutter and downspout and the associated devastating effects on your home.
Is gutter damage causing water to pool around your home? If so, then you need to act quickly. Gutter damage that causes improper drainage exposes your home to numerous water-related problems like mold growth and rotting wood.
The following are five gutter damage causes you should know about to protect yourself from disaster.
People who live around trees know how important cleaning the gutters is during the fall. When leaves—or any other debris—blocks your gutters, water can back up and pass beneath your roof's shingles. This blockage can lead to erosion, which damages not only the gutter but also your roof.
Erosion from gutter blockage is one of the most common causes of gutter damage; that's why it pays to clean them frequently.
Similar to gutter blockage, downspout blockage prevents water from flowing to the ground. Instead, it backs up in your gutters where it causes gutter erosion or can find a path into your home beneath the shingles.
Professional gutter installation usually leads to quality installation. But, there are instances where even experts install gutters incorrectly. Gutter damage from installation issues usually shows up during intense rainstorms when the gutters can't handle the rapid water inflow.
Corroded hardware shows up in one of three places: the fasteners that attach the gutter to the home, at the joints between gutter sections, and the end caps. When these areas lose their structural integrity, gutter damage is close behind.
Passing rainwater exacerbates problems at any of these areas, creating a negative spiral that requires a gutter professional's expertise.
Rainwater backs up in the gutters when there aren't enough downspouts along the length of the gutter system. When this happens, your gutters are susceptible to the same issues as blocked gutters—erosion and water seeping into your roof.
Having too few downspouts and blocked gutters or downspouts are the same problems, caused two different ways: water accumulates because it can't find a path to the ground.
Gutter damage that results in the improper flow of water can lead to a consistently leaky roof. For example, backed-up water can enter your home from beneath your shingles, or it can pool on the roof and enter through other corrupt spaces in your shingles or joints.
Whenever you notice a roof leak, check your gutter system. Make sure the gutters are clean and inspect for signs of gutter damage.
Mold can grow on any surface that has excess moisture. You might not notice a roof leak, but any water that enters your attic is the perfect place for mold growth.
Additionally, long-standing water can lead to rotting wood. Maintaining a fee-flowing gutter system takes care of both of these issues, so make sure you look for signs of gutter damage and contact your roofing professional if you find them.
Water dropping straight down after it can't flow down properly due to gutter damage can land on the garden around your house. It can cause puddles around your yard or create a hole where it lands.
Finding muddy holes or puddles in the areas directly below your gutters is one way homeowners discover they have clogged gutters or gutter damage in the first place.
Excess water can damage a home's foundation. This build-up occurs when water isn't draining from the area properly.
Whenever you have gutter damage, water isn't following effective clearance paths. Instead of flowing into your attic, it can drop straight down from the roof's edge or follow the exterior walls down. There, it pools against the house and seeps into the foundation.
Corroded hardware and improper gutter installation increase the risk of foundation issues because the water can drop straight down where it can meet your home's foundation.
Gutter damage leads to improperly flowing water. This water can then find its way under the shingles and into your home.
Even if you never have a roof leak, this water can still do damage. For one, it erodes both sides of your shingles. This compromised area grows over time until it covers a large portion of your roof near the edge.
There's a chance you can get away with a simple roof repair, but sometimes such damage leads to entire roof replacements before the typical lifespan of the roof.
Checking for clogged gutters or gutter damage is an easy step to extend the life of your roof.
Identifying gutter damage as soon as possible prevents more serious problems down the line like mold and roof issues.
Gutter damage can come from various factors, causing water flow in areas that cause problems with the landscape or foundation when not taken care of in time.
If you have gutter damage at your Dayton home, give Possert Construction a call or reach out via our contact page! Our roofing experts are here for you and ready for all your roofing needs.
