Copper gutters are an important component of any historic property. Not only do they help prevent water accumulation and structural damage, they can add to the aesthetic appeal of commercial and residential historic buildings.
Despite their durability and aesthetic appeal, even the most well-constructed gutters can wear out, leading to a variety of problems like foundation issues, leaks, and clogs that could damage your historic property. Here are a few signs that your historic copper cutters need to be repaired or replaced, and why partnering with Renaissance for complete gutter system restoration can help you preserve your property for years to come.
why are gutters important for historic homes?
Gutters might not be the most exciting aesthetic feature, but they’re critical for the health and structural integrity of your history property. Along with preventing roof water from leaking and causing interior and exterior damage, gutters also help protect a property’s foundation, landscape, and even the eaves, soffits, siding, and windows.
signs your historic copper gutters need to be replaced
To ensure your historic property stays in top shape for years to come, it’s important to look for signs that your historic copper gutters may be damaged and in need of either repair or replacement. These include:
Patina and aesthetic concerns: A benefit of copper is that it doesn’t disintegrate over time, but instead develops a greenish patina due to oxidation which acts like a shield to preserve the copper inside. While this is a natural protective layer, some homeowners may view it as undesirable if they prefer the original shiny appearance.
Joint leaks: Older copper gutters are often soldered together, and over time, the solder joints can weaken or fail due to thermal expansion, contraction, or corrosion. Any leaks mean water can seep in, causing both internal and external damage.
Corrosion from improper maintenance: Because copper is a non-ferrous metal, it’s resistant to rust, but it’s still vulnerable to corrosion if exposed to extreme heat or if debris — like wet leaves — traps moisture or acidic compounds deteriorate the copper surface. While copper corrosion is a slow process that takes years to appear on the surface, corroded gutters aren’t able to properly redirect water away from your property, which can result in interior and exterior damage.
Fastener deterioration: The fasteners or brackets holding the copper gutters may not be made of copper, leading to galvanic corrosion where different metals contact each other. When fasteners start to become loose and deteriorate, the gutters can pull away from the house and lead to structural damage.
Clogging and overflow: Debris like leaves, twigs, and dirt can clog copper gutters. As a result, water can’t flow freely through the gutters and downspouts, leading to water overflow that can damage the fascia, siding, or foundation.
Pooling water around foundation: Speaking of the foundation, without gutters to properly redirect water away from your property, that water can pool around the foundation and weaken it, along with causing erosion and even potentially the growth of mold and bacteria.
Sagging or pulling away: Copper expands and contracts with temperature changes, and over time that expansion in combination with the weight of water, debris, or snow on your gutters and roof may cause warping, sagging, or stress on fasteners and joints. Over time, gutters may sag or pull away from the roof, which prevents them from doing their job.
Damage from ice and snow: While snow may look nice around the holidays, snow and ice can also lead to damaging ice dams. When snow melts and then refreezes on colder parts of the roof like the gutters, this creates blockages that may cause improper drainage and backups that lead to leaks, water damage, and structural issues.
should you repair or replace your historic copper gutters?
It’s never easy trying to decide whether to try and fix something or to spend money replacing it, especially when it comes to something as important as the gutters on your historic property. While you don’t want to spend more money if you can easily repair small amounts of damage, you also don’t want to spend money on repairs that won’t last if it turns out there’s a bigger underlying issue with a gutter.
That’s why it’s critical that you schedule an assessment with a Renaissance historic restoration specialist who can perform a complete inspection of your roof, gutters, and downspouts and discover any small problems today that could balloon into bigger issues tomorrow.
Our restoration specialists have the knowledge, experience, and craftsmanship to diagnose issues with your historic property and create a detailed project plan to ensure work is completed with the utmost in historical integrity.
Reach out to Renaissance Historic Exteriors today!
