Any stagnant water on your property is not good, but particular attention needs to be given to standing water in your roof gutters. In the winter, this can result in ice pockets that can damage gutter walls and seams, due to excess expansion and contraction. In the summer, pools of water present in your gutters will act as a perfect breeding ground for infectious mosquitoes. Compounding this problem are the birds that will be attracted to these insects and their larva in the water. These same dirty birds will then proceed to defecate in the water, thus creating a virtual cesspool of unhealthy bacteria right outside your house. This alone should be a powerful motivator to fix any standing water issues immediately!
Reasons For Problems With Your Roof Gutters
As is the case with most home maintenance tasks, knowing what’s at the root of the problem will help in determining the actual repair. With this in mind, here are three of the most common causes of standing water in your roof gutters:
Gutter Sag: In this case, something is causing the hangers that fasten the rain gutters to the facia board to malfunction. They may have pulled out due to excess debris like leaves and twigs creating too much weight for the hardware, or it could be the result of an improper spacing of the hangers in the first place, which over a period of time, made the gutters sag in the middle and consequently formed pools of water. Also, improperly supported runs of thin-gauge vinyl or aluminum guttering will bend under extra loads.
- Wrong Pitch: In order for the rainwater to properly flow into the downspouts, the gutters need to be pitched correctly. The standard rule-of-thumb for most gutter runs is about 1/4″ of slope for every 10 feet of length. If you see any standing water in your clean gutters after a rainstorm, they will have to be re-pitched.
One problem that larger homes often experience is the development of a flat spot in the middle of a long gutter run that cannot be solved by re-pitching in either direction. Often, the best solution in this situation is to install another downspout at this point in the run, to help drain the accumulated water.
- Clogged Gutters: The number one reason for standing water being present in your gutters is because of clogs. This could be from the leaves, twigs, and other debris acting to create dams in the runs that prevent water from flowing to the downspouts, or it could be the result of a clogged downspout itself. You might get lucky and find that only the top screen traps will need to be cleaned, but be prepared to do a power flush of the entire pipe, especially if it hasn’t been serviced in a while.
Roof Gutter Revival Specialists
If sagging roof gutters aren’t attended to right away, the standing water pools inside them will quickly fill and spill over the sides in a rainstorm, resulting in water slashing up against your house walls and foundation. Over time, this can cause concrete to crack and siding to buckle. If all this maintenance becomes overwhelming, Gutt-R-Done of Southern Oregon can help with any repairs, cleaning, or installation of new gutters or gutter guards for your existing gutter system. Call us today for a free estimate.
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