One of the most overlooked residential systems is gutters. Even though gutters play an integral role in protecting your property from water damage, you likely never think about them or their condition. This is not unusual though considering that gutters are installed high above so they are never in one's sightline. Furthermore, since it does not rain all year round in Aussie, you never really have a reason to wonder if these structures are in optimum working condition.
But this neglect is what leaves room for problems to fester and eventually require complete replacement of the gutters, as repairs would not suffice. While many issues could plague your guttering system, this piece illuminates just two signs of structural deficiencies that necessitate gutter replacement.
Leaks
The typical misassumption that homeowners have regarding leaking gutters is that this problem will not be difficult to miss. However, it is important to note that your gutters will not begin to drip copious amount of water overnight. Instead, tiny cracks, holes and gaps form in the gutters over a period. Thus, by the time you do notice the guttering system is unable to direct water away from your house, the leaking is not only widespread but the walls and foundation of your house are potentially in need of repairs too. So what puts your gutters at risk of leaking?
For starters, extreme temperature changes throughout the year can cause the gutters to shrink and expand, which will eventually lead to cracks. In addition to this, continual exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause parts of the gutters to degrade and eventually rupture. An oversight some individuals make is the degree of damage that dirt, stagnated water and algae have on the guttering materials leading to multiple leaks. If you notice some parts of the gutters have developed spots of discolouration or are corroded, even without blatant leaking, it is only a matter of time before the system malfunctions. Hence, you should urgently seek a gutter replacement.
Malformations
The second sign of impending gutter replacement is a deformed guttering system. For the gutters to direct precipitation away from the roof and the house effectively, they need to be installed straight. The moment they begin to develop malformations, the guttering system will become incompetent and you need to have it replaced. There are several reasons why your guttering system could be vulnerable to disfigurement.
One of the most common causes of this type of damage is unprofessional installation. If the gutters were not assembled and mounted correctly, they will be incapable of bearing the weight of rainwater and will steadily bend out of shape. You may also need gutter replacement due to deformities caused by severe winds, after storm season and so on.
Reach out to a professional who provides gutter replacement for more information.
Share1 June 2020
Hello, welcome to my roofing blog, my name is John and I live in Alice Springs, Australia. I recently moved out here with my wife and two kids to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. We bought an old farmhouse and are in the process of renovating it. The place needs quite a bit of work. One of the biggest jobs so far has been sorting out the roof. It was missing a few tiles and I couldn't decide if we should try and repair it or if it would be better to have it repaired. Thankfully, my neighbour is something of an expert. He came and inspected the roof and recommended that we replace it. He explain how roofing works and the benefits of using different materials. I have learnt so much, I decided to start this blog.