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5 noticeable signs you need new gutters

Gutters are an important part of your home: They direct water away from your home’s exterior walls, windows, doors, and foundation, preventing water from making its way inside. Although cleaning your gutters several times a year will enhance the longevity of your system, most gutters will need to be repaired or replaced eventually to help protect your home.

Look for these five signs to determine when its time to replace your home’s gutter system:

1. Cracks or splits of any kind

While small cracks in your gutters may not seem like a big issue, small cracks will eventually turn into big ones and it may happen sooner than you think. If you allow cracks to remain without, water can not only damage gutters further, it can damage the fascia boards behind the gutters, the shingles above the gutter and the foundation below.

2. Paint peeling on or around your gutters and/or flecks of orange

The paint on your gutter is designed to withstand the typical wear and tear throughout the seasons. Unless your gutters are extremely old, peeling paint or orange flecks from the beginning stages of rust are an indicator that water is present on a continuous basis. This could indicate water is not being removed by the gutter or that cracks or other damage may be present.

3. Pools of water or signs of mildew around your home’s foundation

Gutters are designed with the purpose of keeping water flowing away from your home’s foundation. If you notice pools of water or mildew near the foundation, it can indicate that the gutters are not working as intended. This could be caused by something as simple as a clog or by something as complex as a defect in the gutter system. Water can easily damage the foundation, leading to costly, time-consuming repairs.

4. Water damage or water marks directly beneath the gutters

Check your gutters at least once a year on a day that’s relatively sunny and free from rain. Water damage or marks underneath the gutter indicate that water is escaping the gutter. This type of water intrusion can damage your soffit and fascia board.

5. Gutters sag or have begun to pull away from the house

This is one of the easiest ways to tell you need gutter repairs or gutter replacement because you don’t need to be on a ladder to notice it. Gutters should never sag or pull away from the home. This can indicate that the gutters are full of water and pulling away from the house due to the weight. A full gutter means that the gutter system may not be appropriate for the home, its draining improperly or debris is causing blockage.

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Gutter trouble? When to replace instead of a repair

How often should my gutters be cleaned?

  •  It should be more than once a year.
  •  Annually, at a minimum. If you have a lot of trees, several times a year.
  • At the minimum, they need to be checked out and cleaned in the spring and fall.

What are some indications I may need to repair or replace my gutters?

  •  Look for leaks in corners, staining or overflows from water, or rust in steel gutters. They should hang level, so if your gutters are turning down more toward the front, something needs to be done.
  •  With galvanized steel gutters, you’ll start seeing rust. If the gutters aren’t secured well, they’ll start sagging. Also look for joints pulling apart or overflowing during rain.
  • If you see water coming out from behind the gutter, there’s something wrong.

What are the average prices for gutter replacement or repairs?

  • For an average 2,000-square-foot house, replacement usually costs $1,200 to $1,500, and repairs can range from $200 to $1,000.
  • For an average 2,000-square-foot home, the average repair costs $600, and replacement is $1,500.
  • Repairs cost about 60 percent of the cost of replacement. Your average house is about $1,000 for new gutters, so it can cost about $600 to fix them. Most of the time it’s better to replace them.

Do you recommend gutter guards, screens or covers?

  • Screens don’t work as well because of the fuzzies from oak trees in the spring. Gutter hoods are expensive, but they make your gutters zero to little maintenance, so they say!
  • There are several different types and we recommend the one that’s right for your situation.
  • We recommend using aluminum type gutter guards. With a spring/Fall Gutter Cleaning!

How long will new gutters last? How can I extend their lifetime?

  • If you maintain aluminum gutters, they can last almost forever. Clean them, resecure the fasteners and reseal the corners and end caps.
  • We use stainless aluminum and the materials have a lifetime warranty. Keep them cleaned out, put leaf guards on them and get them adjusted from time to time.
  • Aluminum gutters should last a lifetime. Just keep them clean and sometimes, because of settling of the house, they may need to be raised or lowered.