It often seems like we are in a near constant storm season here in the greater Cincinnati area. Anytime you might think the weather has reached a point where it will settle down and we’ll get a few calm weeks in, some surprise storm pops up and we get snow, freezing rain, high winds, and scorching heat all in the same afternoon. Because the Ohio River Valley likes to turn weather up to eleven.

With unexpected storms, you might be used to checking your yard for random damage, but you want to also be in the habit of looking up too. Your gutters can be the most hard hit victim of storm damage around your house without you realizing it. Because of the construction of most homes, aerodynamics cause wind pressure to be at the strongest around the edges of your roof. This means your gutters can take the brunt of wind’s force.

Sagging or broken gutters are the most obvious result of wind damage you’ll want to watch out for. If you see gutters that have been detached from your home, you’ll want to make sure they get immediate attention. This will cause further rain to drain improperly. That leads to water pooling around the sides of your home, putting your basement and foundation at risk.

Damage may not be quite so evident however. A different risk comes from loosened mounting brackets on your gutters. This may not get noticed by a cursory visual inspection, but it can be just as damaging in the long run. As your gutters are pulled on by the wind, the brackets that hold them to your fascia can be bent out of shape. This means that further winds or other storm factors could lead to damage to the gutters or fascia. Flying gutter pieces are a storm risk no one wants to have to deal with around their home. To spot them, watch your gutters from various viewpoints for a time to see if wind might be causing them to shake.

Of course the best way to ensure that you catch any wind damage to your gutter is to have a professional inspection done. If you contact us today we can schedule you for an inspection and identify what repairs might be needed to give your home the best protection possible.