When your gutters leak, water can run down the sides of the home, staining your exterior walls, seeping in to the bones of the house and potentially causing moisture damage. In warmer conditions, such as the southern United States, this moisture can lead to swelling, which compromises the home's integrity, fosters mold, and attracts bugs. A well-maintained gutter will guide water away from your home, and reduce the chances of water damage, but homeowners should still be on the lookout for leaks in their home's gutter system.

Should you discover a leak or inefficiency in your gutters, try some quick fixes and redneck ingenuity during these situations:

Unclog a gutter.

A blockage or clog can cause your gutter to leak, which may be staining the siding or exterior walls of your home. It is important to get rid of the debris, dirt, and leaves that can fill up your gutters, causing clogs, sags, and subsequent leaks. Create a snake out of an old plumbing snake, a recycled broom handle, or a long piece of bended metal; use this to retrieve trash and debris from the trough of your gutter routinely.

Stabilize a sag.

A sagging segment of your home's gutter could be causing water to bypass the gutter and sneak out in spots that could be causing damage to your home. Don't allow a sag to end up in wasted expense and problems; use a bungee cord to secure the segment to the rest of the more secure gutter system. This may not be a cosmetic improvement, but it will hold the segment in place and allow water to pass through the gutters without leaking until you have the gutter segment repaired or replaced.

Fix a leak.

If you suspect your gutter has a leak, try this trick: working from the top, either from a ladder or through an upstairs window, pour a bucket of water down the trough of your gutter. You will need a person like a friend or neighbor to stand on the ground and tell you where they see the water dripping from as you pour. This will pinpoint your leak so that you may evaluate the situation more closely.

Get rid of debris.

The major cause of malfunction and water leaks is often dirty and unmaintained gutters. Keeping the gutters protected with a guard of some sort is an effective way to prevent debris from getting in to the trough. Use recycled mesh screen, from screen windows or doors, and wrap this mesh over the top of your gutters; cut the mesh in long strips and secure it to the sides of the trough with zip ties.

Try some of these inventive solutions to your leaky gutters, and protect your home from moisture. It is far easier and less laborious to take care of your gutter system than it is to repair water damage, but these examples of redneck ingenuity may be able to slow a leak or curb damage in some situations. Take care of your home's gutters so that they can take care of the runoff from your roof and eaves. For more information about eavestroughing, visit First Choice Siding Ltd.