They might not seem like much, but gutters play a huge role in protecting your home. But when they become old or damaged, gutter systems can no longer divert rainwater or melting snow away from your home. That’s when your home begins experiencing costly problems, like water damage, rotting interior walls and ice damming.

While the lifespan of home gutters varies depending on weather conditions, proper routine maintenance and other factors, the National Association of Home Builders estimates 20 years as the average life of galvanized steel or aluminum gutters and 50 years for copper gutters. The Roofing Annex can help you obtain that lifespan with our gutter inspection and cleaning services. Your roof gutters should be cleaned twice a year to guarantee proper working condition and to identify any issues before they turn into major problems.

12 Signs Your Gutters Need Replacing

1. Water is leaking into your basement. Clogged, damaged, or worn gutters are main reasons for basement leaks.
2. Mold in your basement. Leaky gutters create moisture in your basement, which leads to mold growth.
3. Problems with your home’s foundation. Gutters that are clogged or leaking water towards your foundation instead of directing water away from it could cause cracks in your foundation.
4. Standing water in your gutters. This is a sure sign of non-performing gutters.
5. Gutters are sagging, pulling away from your home, hanging down or leaning more towards the front instead of being level, or seamed gutters are loose or pulling apart at the seams and are too worn to be reattached.
6. Your gutters are bent, dented, or have holes or cracks in them beyond repair.
7. Gutters are not draining properly. Look for these two telltale signs:
   • When it’s raining, listen to how the rain is flowing out of your gutters. If you can hear water smacking to the ground, that means the water is pouring over the sides of the gutter. This could be a result of misaligned gutters or a gutter blockage.
   • Puddles of water forming around your home after it rains or mold growing around your home’s foundation or façade.
8. The paint on your home is peeling, wood is corroding in areas behind the gutter, or you’re seeing rust stains on your home. This is caused by gutter water backsplashing or overflowing and running down the back of the gutter along the exterior of your home. Your gutters could be worn, misaligned or clogged.
9. Your gutters have rusted.
10. You can see gaps either between gutter connections or between the gutters and the fascia boards to which they are attached.
11. You’re finding nails or broken fasteners on the ground, which have fallen from loose gutters.
12. Water channels are forming in your landscaping or parts of your landscaping are washing out or eroding. These are signs your gutters are not performing properly.

Schedule Your Gutter Cleaning or Inspection

The spring and fall seasons are the best times to have the Roofing Annex check your roof gutters. We’ll look for wear and tear, evaluate its alignment, assess whether your gutter system is working properly, and clean your gutters and downspouts. If we find any problems, we’ll provide you with gutter replacement or repair options. Contact us to schedule your home gutter inspection today to prevent costly home damage in the future.