COMMON PROBLEMS WITH GUTTERS
Functional gutters play a crucial role in your home or building maintenance. If you’re having issues with your gutters and downspouts in Houston, TX, they may be suffering from one of the several common problems that can affect gutters.
Clogs
The most common gutter problems faced by home and business owners are clogs. A blocked gutter can result from a variety of causes, but most commonly occurs when leaves and sticks accumulate over time. When your gutters or downspouts are clogged, it can reduce or prevent their function, allowing water to remain on your roof where it may penetrate the roofing and cause damage to the structure. Clogged gutters are also an ideal site for pests to nest and potentially migrate into your home. To prevent clogs, ensure that your gutters receive a proper cleaning at least twice per year.
Leaks
Over time, areas where water pools can lead to corrosion in your gutter system, resulting in holes or cracks in their structure. These holes can often be repaired using a waterproof sealant or caulk. In other cases, leaks can be the result of loosened fasteners. Whether your gutters are held in place by screws, nails, or hangers, it’s possible for these components to become less secure, allowing water runoff to flow over the edge of your gutters and cause damage to the fascia boards or pool around your foundation. To prevent this issue, periodically check your gutters for fasteners that have worked themselves loose, and tighten or replace them as necessary.
Sagging
Poorly spaced or loosened fasteners can result in gutters that pull away from the house or sag forward. If the hangers are spaced too far apart, it can put excessive strain on the gutters and force them to sag open. When the fasteners work themselves loose from the fascia boards, the same problem can occur. Sagging gutters can be repaired by adding additional gutter spikes or hammering the existing ones back into the fascia boards. Another solution is to replace spikes with screws to help prevent the problem from recurring.
