Six Common Gutter Problems: Cincinnati Gutter Repair

Here at ProMaster Home Repair, there seems to be no end to the amount of damage we have seen water cause in homes. Water intrusion really is your home’s worst enemy. If you have one of several common gutter problems, your gutters can prove to be water’s best chance at getting into your home. Whether it enters through cracks in your basement, or causes wood rot to your soffit and fascia board, water that doesn’t flow away from your home is bound to cause you no small amount of trouble.

Because we believe homeowners should be able to speak with their home repair professional in a knowledgeable way, ProMaster has assembled this list of the six most common gutter problems we see in homes. If your gutters aren’t flowing as they should, chances are one of these things (or more than one) is the culprit:

Six Common Gutter Problems:

1. Clogs

We all know we should be cleaning our gutters twice a year, but how many of us actually do it? Our gutters are a perfect place for leaves, twigs, and roof granules to gather. When those things collect, they make it impossible for water to flow freely. The water has to go somewhere, and that usually means it flows over your gutter’s edge or finds its way between your gutter and fascia board. Both of these possibilities create bad consequences for your home.

Homeowners should clean their gutters at least twice a year (end of fall and end of spring) to ensure proper flow of rain water. Be sure to also check that your downspout isn’t clogged. Of all of the common gutter problems, not cleaning them is probably the most common!

Gutter coverings are great, but they aren’t all equal. If you’re interested in putting some type of gutter leaf prevention system on your house, be sure to research the pros and cons of each possibility. Many of our clients have experienced the pain of a having clogged gutter with a cover on top.

2. Sagging Gutters

If your gutter has a section that is sagging or has pulled away from the house, there are a few possible reasons why. First, the gutter may be full, and the weight of the gutter is bending the gutter or gutter fastener. Secondly, the weight of the gutter, weather, or time may have caused the gutter spikes to pull out of the fascia board. Finally, if your fascia has begun to rot, it may not be able to hold the fasteners in place any longer.

Regardless of the reason why, a gutter that has pulled away from the house is no longer doing its job. It’s not catching the rain from the roof. It’s causing a low point so that the water can’t reach the downspout. What’s more, it’s allowing water to overflow towards your foundation. Don’t let the problem get worse, contact a home repair professional to take care of this common gutter problem.

3. Improper Slope or Pitch

The water in your gutter can only flow towards the downspout if it is sloped towards the downspout. If your gutter doesn’t have a mild slope towards the downspout, you have one of our common gutter problems. While you may be able to bend the gutter hangers to create high spots for your gutters, you may need to have the gutter reinstalled with a ¼” drop for every ten feet of gutter.

4. Improper or Missing Flashing

Drip edge and gutter flashing are materials commonly used to prevent rain water from adhering to the bottom of the shingle and working its way back to the fascia board. This will create wood rot over time. Both of these products go under the shingle and over the edge of the gutter, ensuring that water flows into the gutter properly. Among our common gutter problems, this is one of the most overlooked. Homes without drip edge or gutter flashing are prime candidates for wood rot on soffit and fascia.

5. Holes or Seam Leaks

Sometimes the problem is pretty simple. Water can leak from your gutter because of a hole in the gutter itself. Additionally, water often leaks from gutters due to separation in the seams between the aluminum pieces of your gutter. Both of these issues can be fixed relatively easily, but it does take some prep work to ensure that your repair lasts. Gutter sealant is a common product used to repair small holes and cover seam leaks.

6. Downspouts

We’ve already discussed what can happen if your downspouts are clogged, backing up and overflowing your gutter. Did you know, however, that you downspout needs to empty an appropriate distance from your home’s foundation?

If your home’s downspout doesn’t empty into an underground drain pipe, consider installing a downspout extension. This should carry the water at least 10 feet away from your home to ensure that the water doesn’t cause damage to your foundation. It’s remarkable what kind of damage water along your home’s foundation can do. This can be especially troubling for those with finished basements.

Cincinnati Gutter Repair

If you find yourself subject to any of our common gutter problems, don’t worry. Just call ProMaster Home Repair! We have been helping people with Cincinnati gutter repair for years. Whether you just need your gutters cleaned out or have wood rot from a lingering issue, our multi-disciplined craftsmen can handle it. Feel free to fill out the form at the bottom of this page, schedule online, or contact 513-322-2914 to hail a “Home Repair Hero!”