Just because leaky gutters don’t directly increase your energy bills, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have a negative impact on your home’s energy efficiency. So what if gutters overflow every now and then, and the runoff trickles halfway down the siding before drying up. It doesn’t do much harm, right? Actually it can. Here’s how leaky gutters might make a home less energy efficient.
No matter how infrequently it occurs, gutters that leak from seams or spill over the gutter’s edge is a sign that something is not quite right with your gutter system. Gutters that leak aren’t working properly. Particularly if your gutters are aluminum or some other type of metal, they will rust and unattended rust spots only get bigger. Unless you find the reason and fix it, the situation will most likely worsen. Water that goes where it should not can cause damage to one or several areas of your home.
When the foundation or a section of siding is comprised, new cracks appear and existing ones become more pronounced, allowing heat to escape in winter and enter in summer. Insulation that absorbs moisture weakens its R-value (higher the number, the better it insulates). Cracks and a decreased R-value can drive up energy bills, making it less efficient to heat and cool your home.
In summer when humidity plays a role in how high or low we set the air conditioning, overflowing gutters can add extra cooling costs to seasonal energy bills. When water from gutters pools around the foundation or landscaping near exterior walls, the area becomes saturated, increasing humidity levels that can impact air conditioning settings.
