5 Signs You Have Blocked Gutters and How to Avoid Them
Have you ever seen overflowing gutters? Particularly in heavy rain or stormy weather?
Perhaps even your own home’s gutters have overflowed before.
Have you ever seen overflowing gutters? Particularly in heavy rain or stormy weather?
Perhaps even your own home’s gutters have overflowed before.
Now, while the cause can sometimes be just extremely heavy and out-of-the-ordinary rain levels, however, more often than not, the reason gutters are overflowing is because there is a blockage somewhere that is reducing the efficiency of the gutters.
Your gutters do an especially important job – especially if you live in a place that sees its fair share of rain. They help to manage water away from your house. They work with your roof and the downpipes to get that water as far away from your home as possible.
This is important because water can cause all sorts of issues for your home.
Today, we’re going to tell you about some of the things you can do to prevent your gutters from getting clogged up and blocked.
But first, let’s talk about some of the tell-tale signs that you have clogged gutters that are just waiting for you to unclog them.
5 Signs of Blocked Gutters
A problem well-defined is a problem half-solved. It’s always the case with all kinds of house problems, including blocked gutters.
The earlier you notice these issues with your gutter system, the better you can fix them and prevent costlier gutter damage.
Below are the signs that your gutters need some attention and TLC!
1. Gutter overflow aka The Waterfall
Gutters are supposed to catch rainwater and redirect it to the downspout, all the way down to the street gutters. Not catch it and then throw it all away to the ground that surrounds your house.
If you notice water spilling to the edge of your gutters like a waterfall, it only means that your gutter canals or the mouth of the downpipes are blocked.
Another sign of clogged gutters is when your basement gets flooded during rainstorms. Rainwater that falls off the edge of your gutter can go directly to your basement, which is the last thing you want to happen as it can lead to structural damage.
If your house doesn’t have a basement, the worst thing that can happen is what’s next on this list.
2. Pond on your lawn
For every waterfall, there’s a plunge basin. If the gutter overflow issue is not addressed, little ponds and puddles will form on your lawn and destroy your landscaping.
When these pools or rainwater are all dried up, you will find these patches of softened-up soil around your house, right below the gutters.
If you’re very particular about your home’s garden, pests are not the only thing to keep an eye on. Make sure to watch out for clogged gutters as well and get them fixed immediately.
3. Sagging gutters
Gutters can only hold a certain amount of storm water for a short period of time. Once your gutters are clogged, that’s when your gutters are forced to carry unnecessary weight.
The weight of the dirt, leaves, and other organic materials that block your gutters, plus the weight of the water that pooled inside the gutter canals can lead to extreme sagging.
If not given attention, the entire gutter system could fall off.
4. Rusts, paint damage, and mould
Rainwater is THE archenemy of gutter systems. Especially if it gets stuck inside the canal of your gutters.
As the water collects inside the gutter, it could seep in through the tiniest cracks of your fascia, and eventually, your walls, roof, and other adjacent parts of the gutter.
Even if the rainwater evaporates, it could leave unsightly rusts and mould that could make your house look like it was pulled straight from a haunted house movie.
If you notice paint damage, rusts, and mould forming on the surface of your gutters, it only means that your gutters are not working properly. Get your gutters inspected by professionals and have them cleaned regularly to prevent your gutters from getting clogged.
5. Mini-jungle in the gutters
This is one of the most obvious signs that your gutters are blocked. If you see plants growing on your gutters, it’s highly likely that it’s filled with organic materials like leaves, animal manure, and other debris.
These clogged materials do not only block the flow of the rainwater but they can also cause all types of damage to your gutters, roof, and adjacent parts of the house.
Now, if you’ve cultivated a mini-forest in your gutters unknowingly, it’s also very likely that pests have already infested your gutters and might have bred in there. If you do not take action immediately, you might need to hire pest extermination services later on.
How to stop your gutters from getting blocked
You might not realise this, but even though it’s not always raining, your gutters are constantly exposed and because they work with your roof to protect your home, they are always working.
If your gutters aren’t catching water, they are probably catching debris, like leaves, twigs, sticks and rubbish.
As you can imagine, this constant exposure and debris flying about and collecting in your gutters is what causes them to become clogged up. So, what can we do about that?
Well, you know we said that often you don’t even notice your gutters? Especially when they are working properly? Well, that is pretty much where the problem starts.
The not-so-secret secret to preventing clogs is to keep your gutters clean and maintained, and when we forget about the gutters even being there in the first place, then the chances are that they are being neglected.
So, here’s what you can do:
1. Put a routine gutter inspection and cleaning schedule in place
To make sure your gutters last as long as they possibly can, you need to be looking after them.
Cleaning them and inspecting them regularly gives you the best chance at making them last a long time and helps to avoid those blockages.
While you can do this yourself, we recommend working with a gutter specialist. The regularity of your gutter cleaning and inspections will vary based on where you live and the kinds of weather you experience, however, for the most part, it’s a good idea to have your gutters cleaned and inspected twice a year.
Luckily, if you work with a guttering expert like Gutterline who not only cleans gutters but can also perform gutter repairs and install gutter systems, you’re working with someone who knows the signs of trouble. It also means you can work with someone who can combine the cleaning and inspection services, so you don’t need multiple people coming around.
You could do this yourself, but cleaning gutters can be dangerous, and let’s face it, you don’t have the experience or probably the time to do so.
2. Get gutter guards installed
An uncomplicated way to give your gutters the best chance at remaining unblocked is to give them a line of defense. And that’s in the form of leaf guards.
These gutter guards are like a mesh straining system that will allow storm water to flow through but will prevent larger debris, like leaves and twigs, from falling into the gutter canals.
Just keep in mind, though, that although the guards will help in preventing the clogging and dirt build-up, your gutters will still need to be cleaned and maintained regularly.
3. Keep an eye on the trees and plants around your home
Twigs, leaves, branches, and sticks, are some of the main offenders when it comes to blockages in your gutters. If you have large trees or a lot of vegetation around your home, it might simply be dropping leaves on your roof and causing these blockages.
It’s worth keeping an eye on your vegetation and making sure it is trimmed or cut back when it starts to encroach on your home and roof.
Why blocked gutters are a problem
We touched on this earlier, but it’s particularly important, so we’re going to go into some more detail.
Your gutters work in conjunction with your roof to manage the flow of water away from your home. Your gutters collect the water and debris that runs off your roof and carry the water to draining points, like your downpipes to get it away.
When your gutters are working properly, you honestly probably won’t even realise they are there. It’s only when they are leaking, overflowing, or quite obviously damaged, that you might even notice them.
If your gutters are not working properly, some of the common problems you might have include:
Damage to the house exterior
This will likely take the form of mould or watermarks on the exterior walls of your home. While every home is going to experience some wear and tear over time, when a gutter is left to continuously leak in an area and never really let up, this can lead to aging and other gutter problems that could have been easily avoided.
Once these things happen, simply cleaning your gutters might not be enough to save the house. What you’ll need is to get your gutters fixed by professionals so they reattach the broken seams or seal the holes if there are any.
Damage to the home’s interior
Sometimes, if your gutters are unable to work efficiently, it can lead to damage to the inside of your home. If water is left to pool in a part of a gutter and is unable to drain, this might seep in through your interior walls over time, which can lead to rotting and mould inside, damage to your wiring, and even flooding.
Damage to your home’s landscaping
We also touched on this a little bit earlier. If the landscaping that surrounds your house starts to soften up or becomes patches of mud. There’s no other culprit but gutter overflow, which is caused by clogged gutters.
So if you’re the type of homeowner that loves great and well-kept landscaping in the garden, prevent gutter overflow from happening at all costs. But if you’re at the point where your gutters are already sagging, you’ll need gutter replacement services already. Call Gutterline and we’ll install new gutters on your home.
Damage to the foundation
If your gutters are overflowing, unable to cope with the amount of water flowing through them or the downpipes are not draining far enough away from your house, you might end up pooling water around your home. If this is left, this can seep into the foundation of your home, which can compromise the overall structural integrity. If you’ve had some extreme weather and you notice pooling it might not be anything to be concerned about, but if it happens regularly, then something needs to be done.
Damage to the rest of the gutters
When gutters become blocked or even broken in some parts, it can end up impacting the other parts of your gutters, putting pressure on them to work even harder. This extra pressure can lead to premature aging or damage to these other areas, so it’s best to ensure everything is well looked after.
Work with the guttering specialists in Sydney
Gutter cleaning and maintenance are just non-negotiables. But as you can see, there are some pretty simple things you can do to avoid bad things from happening to your home and gutters.
The best thing you can do for your gutters is to work with a professional team who can help you take care of them – that way, they won’t be your problem.
If you’re in Sydney and looking for a gutter team who can help you keep your gutters in tip-top shape, then give us here at Gutterline a call. We’re Sydney’s most-trusted guttering specialist – and it’s for good reason. We’ve been taking care of the gutters of the homes around Sydney for more than 20 years!
Give us a call on 02 8677 3373 to speak to one of our friendly gutter experts today.
