Continue reading to learn more about how you can deal with gutter issues and decide whether a gutter repair or gutter replacement will be the right call going forward.
Gutters are an integral part of your home’s defence system against the elements. They keep water from accumulating on your roof, seeping into your walls and gathering on your driveway causing damage to your landscape and to your home. Homeowners often overlook their importance, until they suddenly stop doing their job either due to a lack of maintenance, lack of cleaning or issues caused by general wear and tear.
Suddenly you realise just how much you and your home rely on your guttering system.
When you have issues with your guttering, you have two main options, gutter repair or gutter replacement.
However, the route you take is going to depend on what the issue is and how bad the damage is. For minor damage or very localised issues, repairing your gutters might be enough. If the problems persist, you will eventually need to opt for gutter replacement. Generally speaking, small problems with your gutters will get worse over time. Small cracks lead to bigger cracks and loose fittings become even looser as your gutters take on more water. Repairing your gutters can help to extend their lifespan but eventually, a gutter replacement will be necessary to protect your property from the elements.
Continue reading to learn more about how you can deal with gutter issues and decide whether a gutter repair or gutter replacement will be the right call going forward.
There are many instances when you can simply repair your gutters and get them back to full working order quickly. To start with, if the damage is just in one or two areas, repair these localised issues and don’t go to the trouble replacing the whole gutter.
For example, if there are a few small cracks in your guttering or a small hole appears, clean them with alcohol and then plug them with a sealant to keep your gutters operational for the time being. If you have sectioned spouting installed, rather than continuous spouting, the joints between sections can be highly susceptible to leaks. Should you find a leak at a joint, check that it’s not just because the joint is loose.
If it is, screw it in tighter but if it isn’t you may need to put sealant in the joint to prevent the leak from getting worse.
Likewise, if any of your brackets are loose you can try to tighten them but most of the time you will need screw new holes and realign the brackets with them to ensure that your gutters stay fixed in place and don’t sag and break.
If your gutters have a lot of cracks or holes and are showing signs of corrosion, then it’s the time for a gutter replacement. Areas that you may have repaired in the past might have cracked or broken again and usually these problems get worse over time, despite your attempts to repair the problem and postpone the need for a gutter replacement.
When your gutters are no longer operating as they should, you will need to replace them. If water is not being moved efficiently away from your home there are likely multiple leaks and you should notice a lot of water on the ground under your gutters. In this instance a gutter replacement is likely necessary.
When situations like this occur, it’s important that you replace your gutters quickly so that there is no further damage caused to your home.
Of course, a gutter replacement may also be necessary if you are doing restoration work to your home and want to update the aesthetic of your property. You may choose to install colour steel spouting to match the new colour scheme of your home. Or perhaps, you want to change the style of your guttering by installing copper spouting or old gothic spouting to add a unique finish and a real touch of class.
Ultimately, repairing your gutters will extend their lifespan and will allow you to put replacing your gutter system off for longer. Since repairing your gutters is a much cheaper option in the short-term it makes sense that as long as the damage is minor that you fix the problem. However, these repairs will not last forever and eventually, when the damage becomes too much, you will need to replace your gutters.
To ensure that you keep your gutter repairs to a minimum, take the time to maintain and clean your gutters regularly. Prevention is always better than a cure and if you want your gutters to be relatively trouble-free, then you need to look after them, clean them regularly and take the necessary steps to fix any minor issues quickly to ensure your gutters last as long as possible.
