Two Reasons Your Gutters Are Overflowing
Gutters are supposed to funnel water away from the home to prevent damage to the foundation and other building structures. Unfortunately, sometimes the water gets backed up and spills over the sides instead, which can lead to deteriorating siding and ruined gardens. Here are two reasons why this may be happening and how you can resolve these issues.
The Gutters Are Not Pitched Correctly
One reason your gutters are essentially flooding is because they're not pitched correctly. When gutters are installed on your home, they need to be tilted slightly so that gravity can pull the water towards the downspout, where it is redirected to a safe place. However, sometimes home builders will choose form over function and align the gutters perfectly with the edge of the roof to protect the home's curb appeal.
While this may make your home look good to any passerby, the damage caused by overflowing water will destroy your property attractiveness in almost no time at all. Thus, it's critical that you have a professional fix this issue as soon as you realize it's a problem. You can generally tell the gutter is not tilted properly because there's no sense of decline near the downspouts. You can also use a leveler to determine if the gutters are straight or slanted.
It can cost an average of $328 to fix problems with the gutters, though the exact cost will vary depending on where you live and the size of your home. You may be able to recoup some of the cost from the home builder if your house is still under warranty. Regardless, getting this problem repaired will be work every penny you avoid spending in future repairs.
The Gutters Are Too Small
Another common reason gutters overflow is because they are not large enough to handle the amount of water flowing from the roof of your home. This issue comes from not accounting for area's weather patterns. If you frequently have heavy rains in your city, then the gutters should be fairly large to accommodate the gallons of runoff that will be flowing through the system.
This isn't always the result of poor planning, though. Sometimes weather patterns change unexpected and in ways the homebuilder could not have foreseen. For instance, an area that didn't get a lot of rainfall in previous year may suddenly experience a spate of torrential downpours. If the weather is likely to persist, then it's best to have your gutters replaced with a larger system that can handle all the water. At the very least, this may make your home more attractive to future buyers.
For help diagnosing your gutter problems, contact a local company like Raingutter Specialists.
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