Common Gutter Problems And How To Fix Them

Gutters, like any other part of your house, require constant maintenance.

Gutters can suffer from a host of common problems that are easier to address with professionals.

Call Rain Guard Inc to help assess and maintain the health of your gutters. Located in OKC, Edmond and Norman.

Gutters are a part of almost most of our lives, and have the potential to be a regular nuisance. Gutters require consistent maintenance and updates, and if not taken care of properly, can affect even the structural integrity of your own house. Forgetting to checkup on your gutters is not an option. Recognizing the common issues with gutters can help you stay on top of the maintenance and get more life out of your gutters.

Gutters Need Maintenance

Gutters, like any other home appliance or a car, need regular maintenance. Though they are not the first part of household maintenance you think, or would like to think about, they are the first line of defense when it comes to protecting the structural integrity of your home from water intrusion & damage. Gutters are essentially responsible for preventing runoff from reaching the foundation of your house and jeopardizing your basement or your landscape. An annual gutter maintenance checkup should be sufficient to prevent most common gutter problems from affecting your home.

Most Common Gutter Problems

Gutters require constant upkeep, and in particular, there are several common gutter problems that most often affect homeowners. Gutters can be affected by conditions such as too much rain, debris, or pitch, and should frequently be on the lookout for such issues. However, seeing as these issues can be difficult to assess and/or fix on your own. For most issues, it is important to have a professional gutter company assess and fix common problems with your gutters. It’s only by calling a gutter company that you can be the most comprehensive.

Sagging Gutters

Sagging is a common gutter problem that can impact the structural integrity of your house. Gutters will sag if overloaded with water or debris, which causes the gutters to pull away from the fascia of the house, creating an unsightly and ineffective drainage system. There are several clear solutions for sagging gutters.

How To Fix Sagging Gutters

Clean gutters of debris to prevent future sagging.
Monitoring your gutters for loose hangers, which is the hardware that keeps gutters attached to the house.
Replace or reattach loose hangers before it leads to further damage.

Leaking Gutters

Leaking gutters can potentially cause serious damage to your home. You can spot a leaky gutter when you see visible water dripping or seeping through cracks in the gutter system. Potential consequences are large. They include minor annoyances like water staining on your home’s siding (known as tiger striping) to more severe issues like foundation damage and erosion around your property. These are important to spot before or after storms occur to prevent massive damage

How To Fix Leaking Gutters

Holes and leaks tend to require reinforcement, and that’s what repairing a leaky gutter calls for. Typically, a small tear or a hole in a gutter requires you to apply some sealant, however a larger hole might necessitate a patch. This is a job that is oftentimes left best to having a gutter company come out to fix. Another way to avoid this issue altogether is to invest in seamless gutters.

Clogged Gutters

Clogged gutters are a common problem and are often caused by leaves, twigs, and other debris accumulating in the gutter system, obstructing water flow. The problems caused by clogged gutters can include unsightly gutter overflow during rainfall, or damage to your home’s roof, siding, and foundation.

How To Fix Clogged Gutters

Solutions to clogged gutters include removing the debris with your hand, using a hose to flush out the remaining debris after that. Preemptive tactics involve regular gutter cleaning or the use of gutter guards to help prevent debris from entering the guttering system in the first place.

Improper Pitch

Problems can also be caused by an improper pitch, or an improper slant of the gutter. This is something you should also check up on regularly. The problem with improper slope is that it prevents water from flowing efficiently toward the downspouts, leading to stagnant water within the gutter channels.

How To Fix The Pitch On Gutters

Repairing improper pitch on gutters typically involves measuring the proper pitch, adjusting the gut hangers and support accordingly and placing the gutters back into alignment towards the downspouts. This can be a tricky task for the novice homeowner. To ensure that this is done right, you should consider calling a gutter company.

Rotting Fascia

Fascia is the wood on the house that the gutters are attached to. If this wood starts to rot, your gutters can literally fall off your home. The rotting of the fascia board is generally caused by prolonged exposure to moisture, such as overflowing gutters or water seepage. A rotting fascia is not only aesthetically unappealing, but can lead to more damage to come, such as water filtration into your home’s interior.

How To Fix Rotting Fascia Boards

To fix the problem one must first remove the gutters and then the rotting part of the fascia board. It is important to replace this rotting fascia with a new rot-resistant board. Regularly inspecting for fascia decay and taking action as needed is also essential. This can be quite a project and improperly doing this can cause damage or irregularities with the draining of the water through your gutter system. This is another job that is usually best left to the professionals.

Ice Dams

Ice dams must be addressed from the inside of the home to the outside. Usually caused by improper insulation within the house or inadequate ventilation in your affect, ice dams occur when snow on the roof melts and then refreezes on the edge or in the gutter, which can cause water leakage into your attic, interior damage, mold growth, and compromised insulation.

How To Fix Ice Dams

To fix an iced dam, one must remove the ice safely, and address the underlying issues causing them, such as poor insulation or inadequate ventilation in your attic. Other helpful maintenance steps include maintaining a consistently cold roof, often achieved through proper insulation and ventilation. Another step is clearing snow from your roof after heavy snowfall. For more about dealing with ice dams, check out our blog about preventing and removing ice dams.

Gutter Damage

Gutter damage can come into play for many reasons, which can include gutters being installed at the wrong pitch to damage from falling branches onto your gutters. Damage to your gutters can happen fairly easily, especially around falling trees and golf ball sized hail.

How To Fix Gutter Damage

Improving gutter damage often involves replacing old gutters entirely. It might be especially time if you are already repairing roofing, siding or windows. Although you can replace your gutters yourself, to make sure it’s done right the first time, you should consider a gutter company to come out to do the job.

Choose Rain Guard Inc To Fix Your Gutters

With 41 years of guttering services, Rain Guard Inc is the best of the best in the OKC, Edmond, & Norman areas of Oklahoma. With ample knowledge of what to look for when it comes to your gutters and the desire to maintain them at the best quality, you can help to protect your home from the inside out by scheduling an appointment with Rain Guard Inc. At Rain Guard Inc, we stand behind our commitment to 100% customer satisfaction, and we pride ourselves in our installation methods and using the best gutter materials. Ask us anything about gutters, we are committed to giving you the best answer and overseeing the best solutions. Call Rain Guard Inc for your free gutter quote today.

Contact Rain Guard Inc

We are open 5 days a week and ready to help you with your gutter system. From new gutters, to downspouts, to underground drainage systems, we will move your rainwater away from your home. Contact us today to improve your guttering system.