1. Waterfalls Over the Front Edge
The classic sign. Rain comes, water pours over the gutter's front lip instead of flowing to the downspout. Cause: clogs, usually — but if the gutters are clean and it still happens, the run is undersized or short on downspouts.
2. Plants Growing in the Channel
If you can see green from the ground, the gutter has been holding wet debris long enough to become soil. The plants' roots work into seams and accelerate corrosion. This gutter needs a clean-out at minimum — and the sludge layer underneath needs checking.
3. Stains on the Siding
Dark vertical streaks under the gutters, or a green algae line where water has been sheeting down the wall. Stains are the history of overflows past — each storm leaves its mark.
4. Sagging or Pulling Away
A gutter that dips in the middle or tilts away from the house has lost its hangers — or the hangers have lost their fascia. Stand back and sight along the run: it should be straight with a slight, even slope.
5. Water Pooling at the Foundation
Puddles against the house after rain, washed-out mulch beds, or a trench worn into the soil under the drip line. The gutters are either overflowing or the downspouts are dumping too close. On our clay soil, this is the fast track to basement trouble.
6. Peeling Paint on the Fascia
Paint fails where water sits. Peeling or bubbling paint on the board behind the gutter means water is getting behind the system — from overflow, from a leaking back edge, or from ice pushing up under the drip edge.
7. Rust Spots or Orange Streaks
Aluminum does not rust, but steel gutters and steel fasteners do. Rust spots mean the protective coating is gone. Small spots can be treated; widespread rust means the metal is thinning and replacement is near.
8. Seams That Drip Between Rains
A seam that drips long after the rain stops is holding water — which means the run is not pitched right or the seam has opened enough to trap water. Either way, it needs hands on it.
9. Basement Dampness After Storms
Musty smell, damp spots on the basement wall, or water at the floor-wall joint after heavy rain. Gutters are the first suspect: all roof water, misdirected, ends up against the foundation. Fix the gutters before you pay for basement waterproofing.
What to Do About It
One or two signs usually mean repair — re-secure, reseal, re-pitch. Five or six signs usually mean the system is done and replacement is the honest answer. Either way, a free inspection gives you the full picture in writing, with prices, before you spend a dollar.
And once the system is sound — repaired or replaced — guards keep it that way by stopping the debris cycle that causes most of these failures in the first place.