Gutters protect your home from damaging excess moisture that can wreak havoc on your foundation, siding, paint, and more! However, if they’re broken beyond repair, they’re not transporting water away from your house like you need them to be. Unsure if your gutters are causing damage to your home and need to be replaced? Read on below for four signs that you may need new gutters!
Sign 1: Visible Cracking
The most obvious reason your home may be ready for a new gutter system is if you notice visible cracking and breakage. Not only can water seep through these cracks, but they are often the sign of more extensive damage – like additional small tears and breaks. Of course, you can determine if there is more extensive damage by monitoring your gutters during the rain. If there is a multitude of cracks, you will notice them as the rain seeps through them. Even better, hire a professional gutter installation company for their expert opinion.
Sign 2: Home Discoloration
If you start to notice discoloration on either the inside or the outside of your house, you may have a moisture problem caused by broken gutters. If your gutters aren’t doing their job, the rain that should be carted away by your gutter system will instead hit the side of your house. Repeated exposure to moisture can quickly cause discoloration on the side of your home and cause mildew and mold to form on both the interior and exterior. Not only are discoloration, mold, and mildew unsightly, but they can be harmful to your health and your home’s integrity.
Sign 3: Peeling Paint
Another sign of excess water around your house is peeling paint. Paint will start to lift and peel from your home’s exterior when exposed to repeated excess water. If you’re noticing peeling paint on a particular place in your home, look up and examine the section of gutters above it. Besides peeling paint on the exterior of your home, as another sign of a broken gutter, you may start to notice paint peeling on your gutters as well.
Sign 4: Seam Separation
Although we’ve mentioned gutter breakage, there is a different type of crack that may start to form in your gutter system – seam separation. Gutter seams are the weakest portion of any gutter system and when not installed correctly, gutters can quickly separate at the seams. Gutter seams can sometimes be mended, but oftentimes a single seam separation is just a sign of further damage to come. To avoid seam separation in the future, consider installing a seamless gutter system or ensuring your gutter installer is skilled and well-qualified.
Is it time for a new gutter system for your home? While we certainly hope our above list has been a helpful way to narrow down if you have an issue with broken gutters, the best way to know for sure is to contact our experts at New Vision Exteriors. Give us a call today for a free consultation!