How often should you replace your gutters?

Your home’s gutters need to work properly to drain away water from your roof. Over time, wear and tear will cause them not to divert water as needed, and you will need to replace the system. Waiting too long to replace your gutters could result in costly roof, basement, home, or foundation damage. Do you want to avoid extra harm to your home caused by wayward water? Find out more about your gutter system and how to know when to replace it.

Why You Need Gutters

You don’t want all the rainwater or snowmelt on your home falling from the roof’s edge to the ground below. Gutters collect water from your roof and redirect it to downspouts that deposit it in areas where it will cause minimal damage to your home or yard.

Without gutters, water falls off your roof based on where it collects more, so you may have more water falling off under roof valleys. Therefore, the ground under these places will have high levels of water erosion, which could cause damage to your home’s foundation, basement, exterior paint, or yard.

Damaged or worn gutters can cause as many problems as having no gutters. Holes and cracks in the gutters don’t allow for proper water control. Regularly checking your gutters for damage can help you to know when to replace these vital parts of your home’s exterior.

How Often Should You Replace Your Gutters?

The life expectancy of your home’s gutters depends on the material used in their construction. For example, aluminum and galvanized steel gutters typically last for 20 years. However, if you install copper gutters, you could get 50 years of use from them. Regular repairs and good maintenance can prevent you from needing to replace your gutters early.

Watch out for the following signs that indicate you need to call a gutter replacement service to have new gutters installed:

Separated Seams

The weakest part of a gutter system is where two horizontal pieces come together at a seam. These seams can separate or crack over time. Occasionally, a gutter repair company can fix minor damage to seams, but if you have major problems, you likely will need a new gutter system.

To avoid this problem in the future, ask your gutter repair company about seamless gutters that have fewer weak points.

Cracks on the Gutters

Gutters must remain completely intact to work. However, as they age, cracks will naturally develop. Cracks of all sizes allow water to leak out from the gutter system. You may not be able to see small cracks yourself, but you’ll notice the water damage caused by the leaks.

The more cracks your gutter system has, the greater the chances are that you will need to replace all your gutters instead of repairing the cracks.

Gutters Pulling Away from the House

Watch out for gutters pulling away from the fascia boards. You should typically not be able to see the light between the gutters and your house. However, if you can see the light, the gutters no longer collect all the water from the roof. Consequently, some of the water will flow through that gap and cause damage to your home. Gutters that pull away from your home require replacement.

Sagging Gutters

Gutters that become clogged may sag over time as the weight of water and wet leaves exceeds their capacities. Sagging gutters create low areas for water to collect instead of flow past. A gutter repair service may replace the sagging section of the gutter, but if you have several areas with similar damage, you’ll need to replace the whole gutter system.

Nails or Fasteners on the Ground Below the Gutters

Aging gutters may have lost some of their fasteners or nails. These pieces of hardware often fall to the ground under the gutters, but you may not see the areas on your gutters where these fasteners fell from. If you see nails or fasteners on the ground without knowing where they came from, you should have a professional examine your gutters.

Peeling Paint or Rotting Window Sills

When water flows off your roof without control, it causes serious water damage to your home’s exterior. If you notice paint peeling on your outside walls or window sills rotting, don’t blame the rainy weather or the sun. Consider that your gutters could be the source of the issue.

When water falls off your roof without controlling a gutter system, your home’s exterior paint and window sills could sustain excessive water damage. The results of this damage are peeling paint and rotting wood. Gutter replacement will prevent further damage, but you will still need to replace rotted wood and repaint after replacing your gutters.

Water Damage in Your Basement or Foundation

Water flowing out of broken gutters can damage your home’s exterior. However, it can also harm the lowest parts of your house. Excessive mold in your basement without an increase in interior humidity or foundation water damage can happen when uncontrolled water flows off your roof.

Before getting your foundation or basement repaired, have an expert look at your gutters to correct the issue from the source. If you don’t replace worn gutters, your repaired foundation will have new water damage soon.

Good Maintenance to Extend the Life of Your Home’s Gutters

Taking care of your gutters can help you to get more years of use from them. The best thing you can do for your gutters is to schedule twice-yearly cleanings. These chores should include removing leaves and inspecting the gutters for signs of cracks, sags, or seam damage. If you see minor damage, having it repaired can save you premature gutter replacements.

Don’t limit yourself to only cleaning your gutters in the spring and fall. If a major storm passes through your area, such as a tornado or hurricane, take another look at your gutters to see if they need additional cleaning or sustained damage from the storm.

Gutter Repair and Replacement You Can Trust at Macaw Construction

Whether you need new gutters or repairs to your existing system, you can trust us at Macaw Construction to get the job done right. If you live in the Charlotte area, contact us today to schedule a visit from our gutter experts.