How To Tell If Your Gutter Is In Good Condition Or Not

Gutters are a crucial part of your overall roofing design that is used to safely disperse water away from more vulnerable areas of the building such as the walls of your house or the underside of your roof. However, many Australians have gutters on their homes that were built decades ago and that have lost most of their usefulness. It is easy to assume a few drops here or there from leaky gutters is fine and nothing to worry about, but it could actually be the sign of much bigger issues. Here are a few ways you can tell your gutters need a roofing expert to replace them. 

Rust Clearly Visible

If you can see the tell-tale signs of orange splotches on the bottom of your guttering, then you should call for a replacement immediately. Rust not only means that your gutters are far too old but also that they are close to a major failure. They could break at any moment, and when they do, it can dump a lot of water on your home, not to mention that scraps of metal could potentially smash into your window or other fragile things around the exterior of your home. Don't put up with rusty gutters; get them replaced with much more longer-lasting modern variants.

Overflowing

If your gutters are continuously overflowing then it could mean a few things. First of all, they are likely getting jammed by some combination of twigs and leaves, but they are also probably not big enough for what you need. New gutters should always be tailor-made for your roof by judging the surface area and how much water will run down in an average rainstorm. Overflowing gutters can lead to water trickling down the side of your building, eroding the paint and potentially damaging the timber or metal supporting structures underneath. 

Leaning Or Sagging Supports

Gutters should be tightly connected to the side of your roofing, and if any of the supporting struts start coming loose, then it will begin to sag after heavy thunderstorms. If you think about it, gutters do hold a lot of weight for quite long periods of time, especially if they have a jam in them. This weight can reach a breaking point and potentially cause your gutters to fall apart under the stress of it all. Sagging gutters are your first warning sign to call in an expert in roofing so that they can either re-connect the gutters or replace them. 

To learn more, contact a gutter repair company.

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