Leaking Gutters, Fascia, and Soffits

Obviously, if you walk around the perimeter of your Crown Point, Merrillville, or Hobart home inspecting the roof and spot physical damage or rotting, that’s your sign to call in a repairman and get your roof drainage issue resolved quickly.  Leaking and rotting soffits and fascia can become an expensive repair, and the sooner you address any issues you discover the lower the final total on your repair bill.

The problem is this is one of those home repair issues you often don’t notice until it’s too late.  So I’m going to give you a quick task that can potentially save you a bundle.  And watch this linked video to learn more on how to spot the warning signs of gutter, soffit and fascia leakage before it become too costly.

The easiest way to spot a potential problem area along your roof line is to go outside and watch for leaks while it’s raining.  This is not very practical as first it must be raining outside, and second, you’ll have to remember my little message here and do your inspection when it does.  So here’s the trick, go outside and inspect the perimeter of the roofline RIGHT NOW!  Go ahead, I’ll wait…

Here’s what you’re looking for: Evidence of leaking.  I’m not talking about soffit and fascia that’s already pealing, cracked, decaying and falling apart, and I’m not talking about gutters that are falling away from the side of the house.  If you have those issues you already know to call a repairman.  I’m talking about finding a little problem before it becomes a BIG problem.  Look along your gutters, and the underlying fascia, trying to spot dark vertical streaks that are residue of dirty water from your roof overflowing the gutters, or working in behind the gutter and soaking the fascia.  I refer you to this website for the sole purpose of giving you a photograph example of what to look for.  This is not a foolproof method for spotting all problems.  There are many little things that can contribute to leaking.  This is however a very inexpensive (because it’s free) inspection you can perform yourself that can keep your repair bill in the hundred dollar range and out of the thousands.  If you find these streaks, and your gutters are not obstructed with debris or tennis balls, call your handyman and set up an appointment.  The problem might be as simple as installing a drip edge inside your gutters.