Gutters don't fail overnight — they deteriorate gradually, and most homeowners don't notice until water is streaming down their siding or pooling against their foundation. Here are the 6 clear signs your Des Moines home needs new gutters.
1. Visible Cracks, Holes, or Splits
Small cracks can be sealed; large cracks cannot. If you see splits or holes in aluminum gutters — not just at joints, but through the gutter body itself — corrosion has compromised the metal and replacement is more practical than repair. One crack is a repair. Multiple cracks along multiple sections is a replacement.
2. Gutters Pulling Away from the Fascia
Gutters should be firmly attached to the fascia board along the entire run. If sections are pulling away, separating, or hanging visibly, there are two possible causes: failed or missing hangers (often repairable) or rotted fascia that can no longer hold screws (requires fascia replacement before new gutters). Either way, detached gutters aren't protecting your home — they're directing water behind the gutter onto your fascia and foundation.
Quick test: Push up on a sagging gutter section. If it moves easily and snaps back into position, the hangers have failed. If it feels soft or spongy against the fascia, the wood behind it may be rotted.
3. Peeling Paint or Staining on Exterior Walls
Paint peeling on siding directly below gutters, or orange rust staining running down from gutter joints, are both signs of chronic overflow or leaking. Water is consistently escaping from the gutter and running down your siding — damaging paint, potentially infiltrating wood, and depositing minerals on your home's exterior. The gutters themselves need to be addressed, not just the paint.
4. Water in the Basement or Moisture Along the Foundation
This is the most consequential sign. If your basement shows moisture intrusion, wet spots, or efflorescence (white mineral deposits), and you haven't identified an underground water source, overflowing or improperly directed gutters are a top suspect. Roof runoff deposited near the foundation is one of the leading causes of wet basements in Des Moines.
5. Gutters Are Over 20 Years Old
Seamless aluminum gutters last 20–30 years with reasonable maintenance. Sectional gutters typically last 10–20 years before joint failures become chronic. If your gutters were installed before 2005 and are sectional, you're likely dealing with multiple failing joints and a system that's approaching end-of-life even if it doesn't look terrible from the ground.
Age plus Iowa winters: Each Iowa winter subjects gutters to ice expansion, freeze-thaw joint stress, and the weight of ice dams. Older gutters that look adequate in summer may be failing at joints and hangers that aren't visible from the ground. An on-site inspection tells the real story.
6. Persistent Sagging After Cleaning
Gutters sag when they're full of heavy debris — that's normal and goes away after cleaning. But if your gutters sag even after cleaning, the hangers are failing (repairable) or the gutter itself has lost its shape from years of heavy ice loads (replacement). Sagging gutters don't pitch correctly, which means water pools rather than flowing to the downspout.
Repair or Replace? The Honest Framework
One failing joint: repair. Multiple failing joints on a 15+ year old sectional system: replacement. One sagging section: re-hang. Multiple sections pulling away from rotted fascia: replacement of gutters and fascia. We assess honestly and tell you which situation you're in before recommending anything.
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Bottom Line
Cracks through the gutter body, gutters pulling away from the house, exterior staining, basement moisture, age over 20 years, and persistent sagging after cleaning are the six clearest signs your Des Moines home needs new gutters. A free on-site assessment takes 20 minutes and gives you a definitive answer.