No matter how well you maintain and clean them, and regardless of whether you have gutter guards or other gutter protection in place, gutters aren’t designed to last forever.
That’s why its important to know what the signs are of a gutter that’s in need of replacement, so you can act before they fail. Since this will usually happen at the worst possible time – like in the middle of a storm or during heavy downpours of rain – acting sooner may save you from potentially more costly secondary repairs to your home.
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The top 3 signs that it’s time to replace your gutters
Gutter guards and gutter protection is great for removing 99% of your regular gutter maintenance duties, and will certainly help extend the life of your gutters significantly. However, even the most well looked after gutters will eventually need to be replaced. Here are the top three signs that it’s time to replace your gutters.
Cracks in your gutters
Cracks in the seams of your gutters and the gutters themselves are a definite sign of weakening structural gutter integrity.
Cracks will occur naturally over time as your gutter ages, and while patching them will help extend its life, eventually the cracking will extend to far or be in too many places. This is when you need to look at replacing your gutters.
Separation between your gutter seams can also occur, which means your gutter can no longer move water away from the house. This can cause water to get into the fascia board, the roof cavity, and down the side of your exterior, which will cause rot and damage. Replacement is highly recommended at this point.
Fascia rot, or gutters pulling away
When gutters are installed, they’re attached to your home’s fascia. If gutters are cracked, or left to pull away, this can cause the fascia to rot, which weakens the gutter’s attachment to the house. While it may be a case of a loose nail or screw, it’s advisable to check the state of the underlying fascia for rot, which will indicate a more serious issue.
Water will get into your house if the fascia is rotted, and mould and mildew will occur. You’ll be looking at fascia replacement as well as a new gutter, which is why this particular sign is important to keep an eye out for early.
Exterior damage
If your home has peeling paint, mould and rot, or if you’ve got pools of water or flooding in lower levels, this can be a sign of failing gutters that aren’t keeping water away.
While the contributor may be a patchable leak or crack, if you find that you’re patching more and more often, then the gutter structure will start to become too weak. This means it’s time to replace them.
How gutter guards and gutter protection can extend usable life
Prolonging the life of your gutters with gutter guards and gutter protection is a great way to avoid the costly and time-consuming process of replacing gutters. While your gutters will eventually need replacing after decades of protecting your home from water, with gutter protection this will be later, rather than sooner.
If you find yourself in the position of having to replace your home’s gutters, then taking the time to install gutter protection is well worth doing. Your gutters will be more durable, meaning they’ll last longer – well worth doing after you’ve put in the time and expense to install new ones.
