Cleaning your gutters from time to time will help you to preserve and protect your house exterior. But there comes a time when you need to replace your gutters. See when it is the best time to replace your gutters and why.

When you notice these signs it is time to replace your gutters

Sometimes no matter how good you have maintained your gutters, a time comes to replace them. When you notice the following signs, you need to replace your gutters.

You shouldn’t wait too long to do this. The time to replace gutters is when they:

• Water damage on your house or foundations
• Cracks 
• Rust areas
• Mildew around gutters
• Gutters are pulling away from the house

Water damage is a sure indicator that it is time to replace your gutters

If you notice any kind of damage to the house or its foundation, caused by water, then you have to replace your gutters. This means that they don’t do their job anymore. Besides, you will have expenses if fixing your house exterior and who knows what else, if you don’t replace them in time. So, if you have already noticed this type of damage, be sure to call a professional help at once. The more you wait, the bigger the problem gets.

Other smaller issues that people tend to ignore at first are small puddles of water and mildew around foundation. This usually means that your gutter system doesn’t function properly. Do not wait to see what happens, but try to repair your gutters or replace them.

Large cracks tell it is time to replace gutters

If you are not sure if your gutters are in good condition, you could clean them. Once you remove collected leaves and other debris, you will be able to assess the condition. It is easier to check the system when it is clean. If you notice small cracks or splits, you can try to fix them. Especially because the cold season might expand them. When it is freezing cold periodically, warmer to colder change will cause those cracks to get bigger. 

When you see large cracks after the cleaning, it only means that it is time to replace your gutters.

Rust

There are different kinds of gutters. In the case of galvanized steel gutters, rust appearing means that the topcoat has come off and it is subjective to rusting.

If this is your case, then you should replace them.

Examine the entire gutter system to check if there is more peeled paint. Peeling of the paint means that galvanized steel gutters are losing their protection from water. 

Water damage around gutters also indicates time to replace them

When you spot water damage or any type of water stains or mildew or peeling the facade, be sure that your gutters are not in perfect condition. The best time to look for this is in a bright, sunny day. Use the opportunity of cleaning your gutters to check more closely. You will see that water always leaves a trail like mildew, stains or peeling of paint. These are all signals that it is time to replace your gutters. The reason to check for these signals on a sunny day is simply that it is easier to spot water stains.

Too heavy gutters will sag from the house

Too heavy and too full and clogged gutters will start to slowly pull away from the house. First, you should clean and unclog them to check their condition. If they are already damaged, you should probably replace them. But if they are all right, after you cleaned and unclogged them, you can hitch them a little, if possible.

Ask a professional help if you are not equipped

Whether you don’t have the necessary tools and equipment to clean or replace gutters yourself, or you are afraid of heights, or for any other reason, you should contact a professional company. Since this is a repeating job, it would be best if you can hire the same company over and over.

Roofing companies have experienced workers that are trained for this type of job. Besides experience, they also have tools and equipment you need to clean gutters, roof or for fixing them. Their experience is also helpful for working in difficult weather situations.

For example, if you have to remove ice or snow from your gutters in winter when everything is icy, you need to hire a professional who has experience and expertise to remove ice from your gutters.

Replace your gutters on time and prevent additional costs

Gutter systems usually last up to twenty years, if you maintain them regularly. Of course, there is a difference depending on the material they are made from. For example, copper gutters can last almost twice as long. The key to prolonging this period is to clean them and fix them in due time. 

You have to clean gutters regularly and have proper tools for this job. If you can’t do it by yourself, you should hire a roofing company. Just have in mind that this can be a dangerous task and you should even climb the ladders if you don’t feel you are up to it.

Regular gutter cleaning is particularly important if you are living in rainy areas. Also, trimming trees and surrounding bushes will be very helpful for keeping your gutters system clean from leaves and debris.

You can replace your gutters in winter as well if there is a need for it. Remember that gutters are important for “the health” of your house.