Signs Your Gutters Need Replacing

Gutters need replacing when they sag or pull away from the house, leak at many seams, rust or crack, or overflow even when clean. Peeling paint, stained siding, rotted fascia and water pooling by the foundation are the damage that failing gutters leave behind.

Clean first, then judge

Lots of gutter problems are just clogs. Before deciding anything, have the gutters cleaned and the downspouts flushed, then watch them in the next good rain. What's still wrong after that is the real story.

The signs

• 1. Sagging or pulling away. Gutters that dip between hangers or lean away from the roof edge hold standing water, which adds weight and makes it worse. A loose hanger is a repair; sagging along the whole run usually isn't.
• 2. Leaks at many joints. One dripping corner can be resealed. Drips at seam after seam on sectional gutters means the system is wearing out.
• 3. Rust, holes or cracks. Steel gutters rust through. Aluminum can crack or split, especially where ice and ladders have bent it.
• 4. Overflow when they're clean. If water sheets over the front in a downpour, the gutters may be too small, pitched wrong or short on downspouts.
• 5. Peeling paint or streaks on siding. Water running down the wall behind the gutter leaves stains, peeling and mildew.
• 6. Rotted fascia or soffit. Soft, dark or crumbling wood behind the gutter means water has been getting where it shouldn't, and the fascia needs fixing before new gutters go up.
• 7. Water by the foundation. Puddles, washed-out mulch, eroded beds or a damp basement after rain often trace back to downspouts that dump too close to the house.
• 8. Popping spikes and nails. Older spike-and-ferrule systems loosen over the years and work their way out of the fascia.

How long do gutters last?

InterNACHI's life-expectancy chart lists aluminum gutters, downspouts, soffit and fascia at 20 to 40+ years, galvanized steel gutters and downspouts at about 20 years, and copper gutters at 50+ years. New Jersey winters, heavy tree cover and ice build-up can shorten that.

Repair or replace?

Repair when the problem is local: one loose hanger, one leaking corner, one bent section. Replace when problems show up along the whole system, when the gutters are too small for the roof, or when you're replacing the roof or fascia anyway and want everything to fit together.

A seasonal check

• Late spring and again after the leaves drop in fall, clean and look along every run.
• Walk the house during a heavy rain once a year and watch where the water goes.
• After a nor'easter or heavy snow, look for bent sections and loose hangers.

If you're not sure whether it's a fix or a replacement, All In Roofing will take a look for free: call or text 732-584-0700.