5 Signs You Need to Replace Your Gutters

Gutters aren’t just there to keep water from dripping down when you go through a door.  In fact, gutters play a major part in keeping your home in good condition, and broken gutters can lead to major problems for your roof and even cause cracked foundations.  That’s why it’s so important to know when you need to call someone for gutter repairs or when things are too far gone and just need to be replaced.  Here are 5 signs that you need to get a gutter replacement for your home.  

1. You’re replacing your roof

If you’ve already got a roofing contractor out to replace your roof, it’s a good time to go ahead and replace your gutters too. In most cases, if you’re having to have a roof replaced, it’s because storms and winds and hail have probably caused some serious damage. If the weather was bad enough to damage your roof, more than likely it damaged your gutters too. 

If your roof is being replaced because of age, and there hasn’t been any bad damage, your gutters may be OK. That really depends on when the last time you replaced them was. If they’ve been up for years and are as old as the roof, they’ll still need to be replaced. So if you already have a roofer at your home, go ahead and have them look at the gutters and see if they recommend replacing them at the same time. It could end up saving you money in the long run and it’ll make sure everything is in tip-top shape. 

2. Your gutters are leaking

Gutters normally start leaking at the joints and seams. Wherever two pieces come together, there’s the potential for a leak to start.  This is especially true if you have prefabricated, seamed gutters. This type used to be much more common and uses multiple gutter sections of the same prefabricated length.  The pieces are fastened together to fit the length of your roof with fasteners and sealant. While this can help keep costs down in the short term, those seams are the first places that often develop problems. Sealant can dry up and disappear, and fasteners can loosen.  

If you’re seeing one gutter leak pop up, you may just need a quick repair.  But if you have leaks starting at several places along your gutters, it’s best to just go ahead and replace them. When you do, you should go ahead and make sure that your new ones are seamless to help prevent the same problem from developing again later. 

3. Your gutters have detached from the fascia

Fascia is just a fancy way of talking about the vertical boards that hang down from your roof. Your gutters attach to the fascia and should have a tight fit, so that water won’t get between the gutters and your house. There are several things that could cause this to happen, but it’s a pretty high likelihood that if your gutters are pulling away, then the fascia is starting to rot. In this case, you’re not just worried about your gutters, but your whole roof.

The good news is that calling someone out to fix the gutters may help you catch any rotting or damage to the fascia and roof.  You’ll need to fix that problem first, then you can replace your gutters so that you have a completely new and secure system to protect your home. 

4. Buckling gutters and water pooling

Another bad sign is when you see your gutters starting to bow or buckle in the middle. Often, this is caused by them not having routine maintenance done on them for extended periods.  Basically, gunk starts to build up when the gutters aren’t cleaned.  This stuff adds weight to the gutters and they start to sag just a bit.  That’s bad enough, but the big problem is that when this happens, the gutters no longer have the proper slant to shed the water to the downpipes.  Instead, the water runs to the middle and pools up.  This adds more weight and more stress to the system and causes further damage. 

Most of the time, this can be avoided by keeping up with regular cleanings and maintenance. Unfortunately, once it starts, it’s only going to get worse  At this point it’s just going to have to be replaced in order to keep your home safe and dry. 

5. Water is overflowing the gutter

Another issue that can develop from lack of maintenance is having water overflow the gutter. This is almost always due to not cleaning the gutters out regularly. The clogs fill the gutter and block the paths for water to make the downspouts. With nowhere else to go, the water just fills the gutter up until it flows over the top.  

The only way to prevent this issue is to keep up with regular maintenance. If you notice that it’s just started happening, you may be able to clean it out and salvage your system. Often, though, by the time the clogs have become bad enough to notice, they are caked into the gutters so thickly and completely that it’s just not possible to get them completely clean. Then your only option really is to go ahead and replace the gutters. It’s a warning to make sure you keep up with your regular maintenance.

In Conclusion

If you’re having any of these issues and need to have your gutters replaced in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Parish Roofing Solutions is here to help. We can come out and see what exactly is happening with your gutter system.  If there’s a way to repair it and keep your home safe, we’ll tell you.  If you need to go ahead and replace your gutters, we’ll help you pick the right system for your home and get them up quickly. Parish Roofing Solutions wants to prevent issues before they start.  Reach out to us today and get a FREE consultation and see what we can do for you.

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