Rain removal from the roof of a home and away from the foundation of the house is important in any area of the country. In Olympia, WA, with heavy annual rainfall, it is critical.
Unfortunately, for many homeowners, paying attention to the performance of the gutters is not a consideration. These are one of the systems in the home rarely considered until significant problems occur. By knowing the early signs of failure of the eavestrough in a home, it is easy to make necessary repairs or to plan for a full replacement and upgrade.
To help homeowners to spot the early signs of potential problems, here are four key factors to keep in mind. These are easy to spot from the ground, so there is no need to climb ladders or get on the roof to check.
Dirty Appearance
The water from the roof is not pure rainfall; it has small pieces of organic and inorganic materials. Organic materials are most often debris from the trees, including leaves, small twigs, bark and even branches. The inorganic material can include the surfacing from old shingles or even pieces of shingles if there is storm damage.
This debris can build up in the gutters and result in obstruction of the flow of water. This backed up water contains dissolved organic and inorganic materials which leads to staining on the outside of the gutter with continual water overflow. Dirty areas of the system are an easy warning sign to detect.
Rusted Places
Many older homes have metal eavestrough. When water pools and sits in the system, it will create rusted areas on the bottom and around areas of joints in the sections. If the water is flowing correctly, rust will not form in most situations.
Mold on the Exterior Walls
Water overflowing the gutters will often run down the side of the home, particularly around the area close to the downspout. Mold at the downspout on the fascia board is a sure sign of problems with the gutter system in Olympia WA.