Gutters are easy to ignore. They're up high, they're not much to look at, and cleaning them is nobody's favorite Saturday. But a gutter full of leaves and helicopter seeds doesn't just overflow. It can do real damage to your roof and your house, and it usually happens quietly, where you can't see it.
Water backs up under your shingles
Gutters are supposed to catch the water running off your roof and carry it away. When they're packed solid, that water has nowhere to go. It pools in the gutter, rises, and can work back up under the bottom row of shingles at the edge of the roof. That edge is where your roof is most exposed, and water sitting there day after day gets into places it was never meant to reach.
It rots the wood along the roof edge
Behind your gutters is a board called the fascia, and above it is the edge of the roof deck. When gutters overflow or back up again and again, both of those stay wet. Wet wood softens and rots. Once the fascia goes soft, gutters start pulling away from the house, and the rot can spread into the roof deck and soffits. A gutter-cleaning job turns into a carpentry job.
It spills down by your foundation
Water that pours over the front of a clogged gutter lands right next to your house. That's exactly where you don't want it. It soaks the soil along the foundation, washes out landscaping, and can find its way into basements and crawl spaces. In a heavy Midwest thunderstorm, a single clogged downspout can dump a surprising amount of water in one spot.
Winter makes it worse
Gutters full of leaves heading into winter fill with ice instead. Meltwater from the roof has nowhere to drain, which can add to ice dams along the edge of the roof and push water back under the shingles.
Clean them every spring and fall
Twice a year is the minimum for most houses. Spring clears out what winter left behind, and fall clears the leaves before the freeze. If you have big trees over the house, you may need more. Make sure the downspouts are flowing, too, not just the gutters. And if cleaning them means climbing a tall ladder alone, it's worth having someone else do it.
Signs your gutters are already causing trouble
Water spilling over the front during rain, gutters sagging or pulling away, peeling paint or dark stains on the fascia, plants growing in the gutter, or puddles and washouts along the foundation.
Yes, we do gutters too
When we inspect your roof, we look at the gutters and the roof edge, because they work together. If your gutters need repair or replacing, we can handle that too. Call us any time. We answer 24/7.
What John says in the video
Transcript: Can clogged gutters damage your roof? They sure can. Water backs up under your shingles, rots the wood along the roof edge, and spills down by your foundation. Clean them every spring and fall. And yes, we do gutters too. Call me, 1-800-JOHN-BEAL.
Frequently asked questions
How do clogged gutters damage a roof?
When gutters fill up, water has nowhere to go. It can back up under the bottom row of shingles and soak the wood along the roof edge, leading to rot.
How often should gutters be cleaned?
Every spring and fall at a minimum. Homes with lots of trees nearby may need it more often.
Can clogged gutters cause foundation problems?
They can. Overflowing gutters dump water right next to the house, where it can soak the ground along your foundation and find its way into basements and crawl spaces.
Do clogged gutters make ice dams worse?
They can. Gutters packed with leaves and ice give meltwater nowhere to go at the roof edge, which adds to the problem in winter.
Does John Beal Roofing install gutters?
Yes, we do gutters too. Call 1-800-JOHN-BEAL and we will look at your gutters and roof together.
More answers from John Beal
- What Happens During A Roof Inspection?
- Lost Shingles In A Windstorm? What To Do
- How Much Does A New Roof Cost?
- All of John’s video answers
John Beal Roofing is family-run and has been roofing Midwest homes since 1947, serving Greater St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, Lake of the Ozarks, and the Metro East and Carbondale in Illinois. Our Kansas City office is at 7440 NW River Park Drive, Parkville, MO 64152 (816-572-9500 Missouri side, 913-281-6000 Kansas side). Everywhere else, call 1-800-JOHN-BEAL. We answer 24/7.