What to Do if Your Gutters Overflow

Have you noticed water dripping or pouring over the sides of your home’s rain gutters? If so, it could be damaging walls, window frames or the foundation. It’s vital to take action to protect your house and find an effective solution.

Precautions

Move any items under the gutters to safer locations. It’s best not to let a deluge of rainwater pour down on your patio furniture or grill. If you can’t move something and it isn’t waterproof, cover this object with plastic sheeting or a tarp.

If one or more windows are located beneath the overflowing troughs, remember to shut them tightly. Close any storm windows as well. Check surfaces under and around the interior window frames to make sure that no water is leaking indoors.

Diagnosis

Try to identify the cause of the overflow by looking at your gutter system and roof. When you see a lot of debris on the roof surface and/or in the troughs, your equipment might need cleaning. A professional can safely perform this task for you.

On the other hand, your downspouts or troughs may have to be upgraded if a large amount of water is successfully draining but the gutter system can’t handle all of it. Your roof could require wider units or a greater quantity of them. Large homes are more likely to need this upgrade.

Steep roofs are beneficial in most ways, but they can sometimes overburden gutters. If you have particularly steep roofing and notice that rainwater runs into the troughs but some of it splashes out, you might need splash guards to solve this problem.

A skilled handyman can thoroughly clean your rain gutters and address most other potential issues with this equipment. Please contact us today if you need assistance with overflowing troughs or other home repairs and improvements.