3 Common Warning Signs of Blocked Gutters

Ever heard of the saying ‘a small leak will sink a great ship’? Well, that’s the case with gutters. Most people never realize that something as small as blocked gutters can have a huge impact on your entire home. When your gutters are blocked, water will not be properly diverted away from your home. Instead, this water is going to spill all over the sides of the gutters and it will wreak havoc to your entire home.

This water spillage causes several issues to your home such as interfering with the structural integrity of the roof itself, the foundation and the walls of your house. Also, this water overflowing may even lead to flooding as water is not diverted away for your home and builds up. This can cause leaks and growth of mould and mildew throughout your home. These problems can be quite expensive to correct and you could end up spending thousands of dollars dealing with the damage.

The best way to completely avoid such problems is by regularly checking your gutters for blockages. Or through regularly calling in the professionals like the team at Endeavour Property Services, who specialise in gutter cleaning in Auckland. To make it easier to identify when you need to get your gutters cleaned, here are three common warning signs of blocked gutters that you should keep an eye out for.

1.      Animals Nesting in Your Gutters

If you start seeing animals such as birds, chipmunks, squirrels and pests scampering around your gutters, then this is a big indication that the gutters on your roof are blocked. That’s because due to the blockage, they have found your roof an appropriate habitat to build their nests and breeding grounds.

There is practically no way any animal will be able to build a nest if watered flowed smoothly through the gutters whenever it rains. So, if you see animals nesting in your gutters this is a clear sign that you need your gutters cleaned!

2.      Sagging Gutters

Structurally, the gutters of your house were specially built to sufficiently withstand the weight of heavy rain downpours. Therefore, if you notice that they’ve started sagging, it’s a clear sign that your gutters are carrying a lot more weight than is safe or recommended.

If you carry out a quick inspection of the sagged gutters, you’ll find that there is a build-up of debris such as shingle grit, organic material such as pine needles and leaves on your gutter. There could even be a fair amount of accumulated rubbish blocking the gutters. So, when you see your gutters sagging, it is important to get them cleaned fast, to avoid any costly repairs.

3.      Spilling Water

In case you notice that water spills over the sides of your roof gutters when it’s raining, then you can be sure that your gutters are blocked. The obstruction caused by accumulated debris in your gutter forces water to flow from the sides like a waterfall.

Once you notice this, you have to get your gutters cleaned up so they can do what they were designed to do, and guide rainwater off your roof once again protecting your home from leaks.

Prevention is Better than Cure

Despite these tips for spotting blocked gutters, it should be remembered that prevention is better than cure. Spotting blocked gutters is not always easy and often once you realise that your gutters are blocked the damage has already been done. This is why we recommend regularly getting your gutters cleaned to prevent these problems.

Call a gutter cleaning service right away whenever you start noticing any of the above common warning signs of blocked gutters and you will avoid the unnecessary repair costs not only to your gutters but the rest of your home.

About the Author

Shannon Hibbard is a digital marketing coordinator at Fabric Digital in Auckland, New Zealand. She has a passion for writing, nature and getting outdoors with her dog in her spare time.