1. Water pouring over the edge when it rains
This is the most obvious sign. If rain spills over the front of the gutter instead of running into the downpipe, something is stopping it draining, usually leaves, moss or silt.
2. Dark streaks or damp patches on the walls
Overflowing water runs down the brickwork and leaves dark stains or green streaks below the gutter. Left for long enough, damp can work its way through to the inside of the house.
3. Plants, grass or moss growing out of the gutter
If something is growing in your gutter, there’s enough soil and silt in there to hold water and seeds. It’s a sure sign the gutter hasn’t been able to drain properly for a while.
4. A gutter that sags or pulls away
Wet debris is heavy. A gutter that dips between brackets, or is coming away from the fascia, is often carrying far more weight than it was designed for.
5. Water dripping from joints
When water sits in a gutter instead of flowing away, it finds the weak spots. Drips from the joints between sections often mean the gutter is holding water.
6. Damp patches on ceilings or inside walls
A damp patch near the top of an outside wall, or on a bedroom ceiling below the roofline, can be caused by water overflowing a blocked gutter and soaking into the wall.
7. Birds or insects around the gutter
Birds picking at the gutter or a lot of insects around it can mean there’s standing water and debris inside.
What happens if you ignore it?
A blocked gutter in summer is a nuisance. A blocked gutter in winter can do real damage. Water sitting behind a blockage freezes overnight and expands, which can crack joints, break seals and pull gutters off their brackets. Overflowing water soaks the walls and the timber fascias behind the gutter, which can rot over time. Fixing that damage costs far more than keeping the gutters clear.
You can’t always see it from the ground
Many blockages are invisible from the driveway, especially at the back of the house or above a conservatory. That’s why every gutter job we do starts with a camera inspection: you see exactly what’s inside your gutters before you decide anything.