Gutters can seem like a small part of your home’s exterior, but they have an extremely important job to do. Your home gutters move rainwater away from the roofing area and foundation and protect your house from natural hazards and deterioration.
When your gutters get clogged with leaves, twigs, dirt, and other debris, the drainage system refuses to work properly. As a result, rainwater gets trapped in parts of your house that are not designed to hold that much moisture. Over time, something as small as trapped rainwater and clogged gutters can lead to damaged roofs and foundations.
When Gutters Threaten Foundations
Clogged gutters compel rainwater to overflow and fall from the sides. This can lead to several damaging factors:
- Hundreds of gallons of water fall directly on the soil beside your house, and the soil gets saturated.
- When the water falls down with pressure, excess dirt and mud push against your concrete walls; this is called hydrostatic pressure.
- The next step is your walls cracking due to hydrostatic pressure
- Rainwater and wet mud again fall through these cracks, leading to foundational damage.
- The rainwater gets into the foundation and eventually washes away the solid sand that holds your house on the foundation.
- Without your sand foundation, your house literally sinks into the muddy ground.
What looks like a simple clogged gutter slowly destroys the foundation of your house, leading to severe damage that requires a complete, expensive renovation.
How to Identify Foundation Damage Early On
Clogged water doesn’t automatically mean that the foundation of your house is completely damaged. However, identifying these signs early on will help you to prevent foundation damage early:
- If your doors that used to open smoothly are suddenly sticking, or the windows are suddenly hard to open, it is a sign not to overlook. Damaged foundations often slightly alter the shape of your door and window framing.
- If you see your floors suddenly feel uneven or sloppy, then it can be a sign that the floor underneath is damaged.
- Cracks in exterior walls are a classic sign of rainwater damage that can lead to foundation damage.
- Cracks or drywall around doors and windows are an obvious sign that the structure is damaged. Pay close attention to cracks extending from corners and getting larger over time.
How Clogged Gutters Can Affect Your Roof
Your roof is the segment of the house that gets affected the most. A roof is usually designed to push the rainwater towards the edges, where the gutter collects it and moves it away from the house. During fall or late spring, fallen leaves and pollen often collect inside your gutters and clog them completely.
When gutters get clogged, the rainwater might flow back up or stay trapped near the roof edges. During the rainy season, it can compel the roof to hold more moisture than it can handle. Water can get under the shingles and fascia board and slowly damage the inner workings of the roof, which leads to cracks and deterioration of the roof over time.
As the roof materials deteriorate over time, tiny gaps and holes can appear. During the rainy season or a hailstorm, rainwater will find its way first to the roofing system, then directly to the interior of the house.
Heavy Rainfall Can Make The Problem Worse
A gutter that seems fine during light rainfall can get clogged if the rainfall is heavy or when snow clogs your gutter. When large amounts of water come off the roof in a short period, even a small obstruction can cause water to spill over the edges.
This becomes particularly important after heavy rain and hailstorms. Sudden weather changes cause unexpected damage to your roof and foundation; it is important to be proactive to secure and repair your roof after heavy storm in Greenville, SC.
Conclusion
A mildly clogged gutter might not seem like a threatening condition at first; however, overlooking it can bring in severe roof and foundation damage to your home. Sudden storms can cause hidden, unexpected damage to your roof and foundation. Protect your home proactively from unexpected damage caused by hailstorms, snow, and bad weather.
Extreme Roofing is your one-stop, easy solution for roof, gutter, and shingle fixes across SC. We provide fast repairs with a trusted and experienced team after severe weather hits South Carolina, Anderson, and Greenville. Visit the website to book a free quote now!