How you tolerate maintenance on your home will determine when you should replace the gutter. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to be bothered with the time and money repairs demand, you should replace your gutters at the first sign of rust. Rust will often show up as little orange speckles that show through the paint, rusty colored stains at the end of the downspouts, or at gutter seams that are separated and leaking. Gutters rust from the inside out. When they begin to show rusting on the outside, the inside is rusting through. Often, however, because of standing water, the gutter may need to be repaired in just one or two areas. Keep in mind that just like a worn suit, you can’t keep patching it forever. You may want to repair them for the rainy season, and plan on having them professionally replaced during the off season.