When it comes to protecting your home, gutters are one of your home’s first lines of defense against water damage. When the windy and rainy weather moves in, gutters help remove the excess water so it won’t damage your home’s exterior structure. Unfortunately, gutters don’t last forever, and knowing when to replace them is vital to homeownership.

Our team at Gilkey Windows & Exterior Solutions examines five signs that it’s time to install new gutters that you can look out for, especially when simply cleaning your gutters doesn’t fix the issue.

1. Spotting Sagging Gutters

Sagging gutters are an easy sign to spot when visually inspecting your home’s exterior, indicating you may need to install new gutters. Often, this issue is caused by additional weight from the accumulation of debris or standing water that overwhelms the gutter’s weight limit. It can also indicate that the fasteners are compromised and aren’t holding the gutter properly in place.

Either way, the disrupted line won’t distribute water efficiently anymore, inevitably causing more issues if left unattended. If you’re replacing your gutters and looking to prevent this issue, consider clog-free gutters. These gutter systems have a covered design that works to keep debris out of the way.

2. Seeing Cracks and Holes

Typically, gutters are a leak-proof system, so water falling on the residential structure can be expeditiously removed for safe distribution in the surrounding landscape. Cracks or holes in a gutter dramatically decrease functionality, and the leaking water could damage the underlying structure.

You can get some small cracks and holes mended, but the larger the fracture, the more it compromises the structural integrity of your gutter. It may also warrant the replacement of gutters instead of fixing them.

3. Noticing Peeling Paint and Rusting

Both peeling paint and rusting are potential indicators of water damage to your home’s gutter system. If gutters aren’t properly draining, standing water might be the problem. The earlier you catch issues, the easier they are to address.

Take action to inspect, fix, or replace your gutters as soon as you notice peeling paint or rusting to keep your home looking great and operating effectively.

4. Finding Damage to Facia, Soffit, or Exterior Walls

A damaged gutter system won’t just show on the gutters themselves; the areas around your home might also show signs of water damage. Look for rust, mold, mildew, or rot in your home’s facia, soffit, and exterior walls.

These signs may indicate that installing new gutters is essential.

5. Observing Standing Water

An efficient and effective gutter system wicks water away from the home, protecting it from water damage. If the system isn’t working, standing water or other issues in areas directly below the compromised gutters are signs it’s time to replace gutters.

Standing water can look like:

  • Basements flooding.
  • Pooling water on the lawn.
  • Landscaping issues.
  • Eroding foundations.

Schedule Your Replacement Gutter Systems Near Lexington, Kentucky

Ensure your home is protected by the latest gutter systems near Lexington, Kentucky, at Gilkey Windows & Exterior Solutions. Our team of trained specialists is fantastic at repairing and installing new gutters. Contact us online or call (859) 294-9393 today to schedule your gutter system replacement.

Gilkey Windows & Exterior Solutions is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and proudly serves the great Central Kentucky area.