The purpose of installing gutters around your home is to protect your home from rainwater or snowmelt. It works by directing water away from your roof, siding, and foundation to minimize the impact of precipitation on your property. On the other hand, if you have low-quality gutters, a poor system design, or they were improperly installed, it can contribute to several gutter-related problems.
Fortunately, the team at AFS knows which gutters work best for your home and can repair any damage they may be facing. We also offer proven solutions to keep your gutters working effectively over time. Here are some of the causes and problems that can arise from an inadequate gutter system.
Signs Your Gutters Aren’t Effective
Foundation Cracks
When your foundation gets exposed to water, it can cause damage to the structural integrity of your home in various ways. First, you’ll likely notice problem signs in the form of cracks within your foundation on both the interior and exterior. These cracks may indicate that your gutters are leaking water that is pooling up at the base of your home. Since concrete is a porous material, any constant exposure to water can cause serious damage.
Soil Erosion
If you walk around your home and notice voids or missing soil, your gutters may be to blame. Whether they’re clogged and overflowing, too narrow, or leaking, your gutters (when working correctly) should be channeling water away from your home. This can also be due to your downspout being placed too close to the base of your foundation. A downspout extension and adequate gutters will help prevent this from happening.
Clogs or Obstructions
It is important to regularly check your gutters for debris such as twigs and leaves and clean them out to prevent blockages in the gutter channel. When your gutters become clogged, they will not be able to properly drain and water will overflow onto your home. By installing a gutter guard and annually cleaning them, you can save yourself thousands of dollars in repairs.
Narrow Gutter Channels
In some cases, the gutters around your home may be too small for the amount of rainwater coming off the roof. This leads to overflowing and water damage to your foundation, flowerbeds, crawl space, and basement. It’s important to install the proper size gutters so that you don’t have to worry about any excess water around your home.
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Why You Need Adequately Sized Gutters
Whether your home is large or small, it needs to have properly sized gutters so that water can flow away from your home. If your gutters or downspout is too small, it becomes vulnerable to being overwhelmed by the water that it can’t handle. Too small gutters can also result in damage such as sagging or separating joints because of the weight of water. This ends up in water overflowing on the sides of your home and affecting your siding and foundation.
Tips To Keep Your Gutters Working Effectively
- Clean your gutters periodically so that you can prevent debris from causing clogs.
- Trim any large hedges or branches close to your home.
- Inspect your gutters every few months for signs of damage such as rust, joint separation, holes, or cracks.
- Install your downspout far away enough from the base of your home to prevent water from damaging your foundation.
- Install premium gutter protection such as our Premium Gutter solution to make sure your gutters stay damage and debris-free.
Frequently Asked Questions – Gutters
Caulk is an important maintenance step for your gutters. Caulk can help prevent rust, debris, critters, and mold from further developing in the joint of your gutter. It also helps aid in preventing gutter leaks.
Your gutter installers should have already caulked your gutter seams for you. However, this caulk can deteriorate over time, or just plain not work if the caulk was installed poorly. When certified field inspectors with AFS complete a free inspection of your home and gutters, they can help determine if caulk is part of your gutters’ issues.
When fixing gutter joints, you can either replace the joint connector, or re-seal the break using polyurethane foam, caulk, or gutter sealant. While this may seem like an easy DIY fix, breaking out the caulking gun is simply a bandage if more preventive measures aren’t taken in conjunction with repairing the gutter. To avoid any damage done to your gutters, it’s helpful to install GutterGuards™.
GutterGuards™ are a perforated cover for your gutters, which collects rainwater just as your gutter normally would. However, it stops debris from collecting inside of the gutter system altogether. This makes cleaning your gutters easier, as you may now only need a broom to brush away debris, instead of needing to pull out a ladder and dig out leaves with your hands. This can also help you avoid pressing a ladder up against your gutter, which can cause gutter seam separation.
If you feel comfortable enough to inspect your gutters, it’s important to look out for a few key indicators of damage. This includes clogged gutters, broken or separated joints, or cracks and holes. All can cause water to puddle around your home’s foundation and cause damage. This could be anything from installing downspout extensions, gutter guards to prevent future clogging or out specially designed Gutter Protection System.
If you notice these signs of damage, it’s important to call in one of our professionals to come out and recommend which repairs your gutter system may need.
Call AFS For Free Gutter Inspections
If your home is experiencing damage due to faulty gutters, call the team at AFS Foundation Repair for a free inspection. We understand how frustrating it is to have defective gutters and we know how to spot the signs. When you contact us for an inspection, one of our certified field inspectors will come to your home for a complete check, inside and out. This way, we catch any water damage in its tracks and suggest the best solution for your home.
We also provide you with a written estimate of our repairs so that you can decide for yourself how to move forward. To get started on getting your gutters back on track, call us or contact us today and a member of our team will get in touch shortly.
