Have you ever stood outside your back door, hands on hips, looking up at the gutters on your home, and trying to figure out whether or not it’s time to replace them? There are certainly some telltale signs to look for, like holes, cracks, buckling, and separation. But if you’re a more visual person, feast your eyes on these eleven photographs — all of which should bear the caption, “If your gutters look like this, you need to replace them. Pronto.”
Image credits: www.jjroofingsupplies.co.uk
Question: How is a gutter like a marriage? In both cases, trial separations usually don’t work. It definitely isn’t getting the job done during any rainstorm. If this gutter can’t be reconnected, the section (or the entire system) should be replaced.
Image credits: www.completelawnservicellc.com
This homeowner may need to be reminded that the bottom of his gutters should be parallel to the ground. Otherwise, water flowing off the roof will spill over the gutters and next to his foundation. And, no — bending the gutters upward isn’t a permanent solution.
Image credits: guttertalkblog.com
Well, the hole in the rotted fascia is one sign that the gutters need to be replaced. Another would be the grimy, moldy exterior. Oh yeah — and the gutter is almost falling off the roof too.
Image credits: alphagutters.com
Here’s an important rule of thumb: it’s time to replace your gutters if you can see them from your window without looking up. Or if the angle of your gutter is closer to that of your downspout than the roofline.
Image credits: wikimedia.org
Yes, even apartment buildings need working gutters. And someone needs to inform this landlord that “working” is not the same as “barely connected somewhere near the roofline.” Although the person in the center unit is getting a free clothesline, so it’s not all bad.
Image credits: guttercleaningtips.com
Obviously, the heavy clog in this gutter is preventing runoff water from flowing out. The water will eventually cause wood or metal to rot, rust, or simply collapse if left unattended.
Image credits: bournemouthjetwashing.com
The outgrowth of grass is a sure sign these gutters should have been cleaned a long time ago. Unless the homeowner had a master plan: I’ll just wait until the gutters separate, so I can replace them and not have to clean them! Sure, he’s lazy … lazy like a fox, that is.
Image credits: farm3.staticflickr.com
This is an excellent example of what an ice dam can do. When ice or snow is allowed to build up, it can burden the gutter so much that the metal bends under the weight of the ice dam. That gutter needs to be put out of its misery.
Image credits: andersonguttercleaning.com
There are two theories about what happened to the gutter on this home. One: snow-pack formed an ice dam, and the added weight bent the gutters downward. Two: someone has been doing daily chin-ups on this gutter for months. Either way, it’s gotta go.
Image credit: wordofmouthlandscaping.files.wordpress.com
See the end of that silver screw near the center of the photo? You shouldn’t be able to, because it would be fastened to the fascia and invisible to the naked eye if the gutters were hanging properly. Maybe it’s time for some new gutters.
Image credits: nedstevens.com
To cap off this list, we have a gutter that is so heavily packed with leaves and other debris that birds have come to lay their eggs in it, probably assuming it’s a tree. This severe clogging could cause the whole structure to collapse as water will continue to pool on its surface – a danger to you and to your feathered friends.
