If regular inspections are not part of your gutter maintenance routine, they should be. Inspections help you keep an eye on your gutters’ condition and prevent small issues from becoming big issues through minor repairs. In today’s post, Hinkle Roofing shares a quick guide to inspecting your gutters.
How to Inspect Your Gutters
When inspecting your gutters, your goal is to determine their condition and to then have your gutter contractor address any problems you might find. What you are not expected to do is perform repairs yourself. For an inspection, all you will need are household tools that you probably already own, and a means to document what you find, such as your phone or a notebook.
- Inspect the gutters from the ground. First, check out how your gutters look from the ground. At a low angle, you can spot unevenness, water stains and missing parts. If your gutters are built from 10-foot sections, pay attention to the joints (the parts where one segment joins another) for signs of leakage.
- Keep an eye out for corrosion. Gutters made of sheet metal become susceptible to corrosion as their outer coating wears off, the signs of which are easily visible. When your home is due for new gutters, consider corrosion-resistant materials like copper and aluminum.
- Watch out for standing water. Gutters should be empty during clear weather. Standing water in the gutters is indicative of poor drainage that needs to be corrected, otherwise it could lead to corrosion. Standing water and debris may also invite insects to make their home in your gutters. To check your gutters for standing water, use an inspection mirror with a telescoping handle, or use a stepladder to climb to the roof’s edge (never onto the roof) to inspect them.
What to Do Next
If you find any of the problems described above, call your gutter contractor and schedule a repair appointment. You may also want to hire a professional to clean your gutters if they are full of leaves and debris. Having your gutters serviced at least once a year can help ensure years of reliable performance and protection from moisture damage to your home’s exterior.
Hinkle Roofing provides gutter installation and repair services to customers in Birmingham, AL, and the surrounding communities. Give us a call at (205) 324-8545 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.
