When you live in a wet region, it’s not uncommon that you run into rain gutter problems that cause a series of moisture issues and water damage. Sadly, gutter systems are some of the most overlooked exterior drainage structures, and you may not notice problems until severe weather conditions strike your home. Although designed to effectively redirect stormwater away from your property via sturdy downspout pipes, these units are prone to clogs, and that’s where the real problems begin.
There is nobody who knows better about high-quality rain gutter installation services than your professional gutter experts at Pacific Gutter Company. Having been in the home service and construction industry for many years, our certified technicians are familiar with the common property issues that homeowners face on the coast. When you’re exposed to the elements, it’s crucial that you have a trusted drainage system in place to properly handle the gallons of water that lands on your roof.
Did you know that the standard 1000 square feet property has to handle a minimum of 600 gallons of rainwater after a one-inch of rain? When you see sagging or leaking sections, or paint peeling, you’re dealing with the leading culprit of gutter problems—clogs. We’ve made a list of common gutter problems that every homeowner could experience without regular maintenance, such as gutter cleaning or the occasional rain gutter repair. But who wants to be confronted with high-cost maintenance and repeated repairs? Pacific Gutter has the all-in-one solution ready for you.
.png)
Common Gutter Problems:
How often do you look at your roofline before the rainy season? Whether it’s in the spring or fall, precipitation is rather unpredictable, and our weather is always changing. But that is all too common when you live on the coast. Putting the weather aside, do you live in an area with a high density of trees? If so, you may be even more susceptible to immediate clogged gutters. Let’s analyze the common gutter issues together and the damage they could cause to structures on your property.
Gutter Clogging With Pine Needles, Leaves, and Other Debris
If you frequently deal with this type of gutter problem, you likely have regular, sectional gutters, which is a standard system that most residential properties have. Joined together with multiple sections, these units have seams that hold together the sections with bolts, brackets, and gutter sealant. Once the sealant wears off, the flow of water will be restricted, making it easier for leaves and debris to get stuck and decompose in place. All that grimy sludge buildup will contribute to the clogging process until the water flow is completely shut down. Eventually, rainwater overflow will spill over your U-traps edges. Often, the weight in the clogged area puts an enormous amount of stress on the joint. That’s when you get leaky gutter joints because the blockage has deteriorated the efficiency of the fasteners and surface sealant.
Even if you have good-quality, leak-free seamless gutters, some of the older models are not entirely clog-free and could also have buildup inside the system that are not as obvious. Therefore, we recommend routine maintenance that involves at least one cleaning and inspection for your existing seamless unit. Otherwise, we’ll get to our ultimate solution to your gutter problem later.
Basement Flooding and Foundation Damage Due To Pooling Water
Gutter leaks are notorious for basement floods and foundation damage. During an overflow, stormwater is practically leaking all around your property’s perimeter, which means that it will greatly overwhelm your perimeter drains (also known as French drains or weeping tile). These exterior drains are meant to protect your foundation from excess water. If you have protective plumbing devices installed, such as a sump pump in your basement, you can rely on it to back up your perimeter drains by pumping away all that extra amount of water via a discharge pipe. But the problem is that sump pumps are not yet widely installed. So if you experience stormwater pooling around your basement floor, you can expect your foundation to be compromised and will need a certified plumber to fully inspect the situation, as well as help you with restoration and waterproofing services, unless foundation repairs are needed from a foundation specialist to recover your home’s structural integrity.
Water Damage on Roof and Siding
Heading back up to the top of your property: Another common gutter problem is that stagnant water inside your metal traps can lead to rust and ultimately affect your roof’s health. The last thing you want is costly water damage repairs on your roof. We recommend checking your roof edge periodically and keeping an eye out for roof leaks.
When you see unsightly water stains on your siding, it’s most likely the cause of an overflow. This can lead to expensive repairs if your clogged systems are leaking behind your siding. Existing wall cracks are the gateway for water intrusion and could ruin your wood sheathing and even leak into your wall insulation and, eventually, your interior walls. This type of expensive repair will likely involve a siding replacement.
Interior Water Damage On Ceiling and Walls
Your upper levels, such as your attic, will probably fall victim to moisture and water damage. Warning signs include water stains on your rafters and trusses, musty smells in your insulation, or poor air circulation throughout your house. If there is a high level of humidity in your attic, it’s important to have an experienced contractor check for roof leaks and blocked vents; otherwise, these problems can easily cause mold growth and decrease your indoor air quality.
Discoloration on your ceiling and wall also indicates trouble. Besides your home’s exterior, you wouldn’t think that gutter problems could cause such drastic problems to the interior as well. But unfortunately, it does take a while until the damage even becomes visible on your ceiling and drywall, which also means that you won’t be able to avoid costly repairs.
Broken Gutters Due To Excessive Clogging
Going back to leaves and pine needles, they won’t take long to decay, especially when trapped in the system with ongoing rain. And besides carrying the weight of grime, the extra weight combined with heavy rain can cause your sections to sag and even pull away from your fascia board. When gutter problems affect surrounding structures like your soffit vents and fascia boards, you may need to brace yourself for the resulting repair costs besides just fixing your broken gutters.
If you aren’t worried about your seamless units, our professional technicians still recommend checking near your house’s corner boards because even without seams, there is always a chance that there are some inconsistencies where gutters meet the downspout pipes in the corners. It’s also common for your 3 x 4-in. downspouts to clog up with debris if you notice no rainwater flowing out of the elbow extensions.
Frequent Erosion and Lawn Damage
Soil erosion and landscaping damage occur when you have leaky gutters that overwhelm your property’s perimeter drains with excess water. When these drains fail to redirect stormwater or become damaged, you could experience erosion around your home and a destroyed landscaping due to uncontrolled water flow. Landscape erosion is the leading cause of foundation cracks and leaks.
Annoying Insect and Pest Infestation
Another common gutter problem is standing water—a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects and typically lures other animals to attend your roofline. Birds may decide to build nests since they would be close to a food source and mice will also investigate the area and look for crooks and crannies that give them access into your attic. Pests on your roof system will deteriorate the functions of various structures nearby and cause moisture issues and blocked vents.
Solution To Your Gutter Problems: Gutter Shutter Installation
At Pacific Gutter, we take pride in our high-quality products. If you don’t already have our seamless gutter system, we highly recommend our one-of-a-kind aluminum gutters combined with our popular U.S.A.-made gutter shutter—the ultimate leaf guard system you will ever need to deflect leaves and debris and protect your home.
Gutter shutters are built with science in mind, namely, the principle of liquid adhesion. Liquid adhesion is defined by liquid surfaces shrinking into a minimum surface space. Therefore, any high-density objects like leaves and debris that come in contact with the leaf guard or enclosure will float on the surface because of the strong cohesion of water molecules resisting the external force.
%20(1)%20(1).png)
Guaranteed Clog-Free
How would you like a seamless unit combined with a leaf guard system that is guaranteed to never clog, sag, and pull away from your house? The no-clog and no-pull is a lifetime guarantee that you can trust; otherwise, our team of experts will be back to rectify any issues.
Quality Materials
Unlike standard gutter guards, our gutter shutter system is made of premium-grade aluminum that is 0.032 thick and one inch larger than the standard leaf guard system. You won’t find a higher quality and longer lasting product anywhere else!
Easy Installation
If you already have one of our outstanding seamless rain gutters in place, installing the shutter system is a walk in the park for us. They are easily installed to your fascia boards, independent of your roof, so whenever you plan to do roof repair, you won’t have to worry about removing your eavestroughs. We also use certified GutterStud brackets at every 24 inches for guaranteed protection and strength.
Improved Curb Appeal
Besides its incredible functionality, your home will benefit from enhanced aesthetic appeal! Not only do our shutters mimic fancy crown moldings and increase your property’s resale value, but they also come in numerous colors to complement your home’s exterior.
Why Hire Pacific Gutter Company?
Our certified expert team has been in business for many years, bringing an average of ten years of experience working in construction and the home services industry. What stood out to us the most was the neglect of exterior drainage systems and how the lack of gutter maintenance can lead to structural damage, ending up in costly repairs.
We decided that the simple solution to gutter problems was offering high-quality and low-maintenance systems to property owners who understand the vital role of their rain gutters. Therefore, we are committed to sharing our excellent products and services with all residential and commercial property owners who care about maintaining proper drainage systems, starting outside their buildings.
When you hire our professional services, rest assured that each and every step will be thorough, from the initial phone call to consultation, inspection, and installation. Our skilled team strives for excellence, efficiency, and respect, so you can always count on our guaranteed workmanship that will bring long-lasting results.
Have Gutter Problems? Get A Gutter Shutter System!
Now that you know the common gutter problems, you may realize that you are affected by some. We recommend not to wait until after the forthcoming rain season. The sooner you take preventative action, the more likely you are to protect your home’s foundation, roof, and other structures.
Learn more about Pacific Gutter Company’s service areas and find out what we can do to eliminate your common gutter problems once and for all.
