Gutter repair is a serious business because, without it, you could jeopardize the integrity of your roof. Keeping your gutters cleaned and in good condition is extremely important. But how can you do this without a little know-how?
Today, we’re going to talk about some things you can do to prevent problems with your gutters and what to do if problems are already present.
Let’s first get started with a very important question you may have asked yourself.
Do I Need A Gutter?
This is a common question that is very valid. The short answer is that “yes, you do need gutters.” Even if you have a sloped roof and water and debris aren’t pooling or settling on your roof, gutters are necessary.
Because you want to control where the water goes. Redirecting water is what gutters are meant to do. If you don’t redirect the water, it will settle at the bottom of your home and will weaken the foundation.
This is the last thing you want because the foundation bears walls, which bears more walls, which bears the ceiling. which bears the roof. So as you can see, the foundation needs to stay stable for your family’s safety.
Most Common Gutter Repair Problems
There are not really as many gutter problems that are dominant as you may think. Most of them can be categorized into four separate sections. These problems have different causes, but they are still only four.
There are clogged gutters, leaking gutters, overflowing gutters, and sagging gutters. If your problem isn’t seen in these four problems, consult a professional immediately as your problem is probably much deeper.
Overflowing Gutter Repair
Gutters that overflow usually means there is a serious problem that needs to be taken care of. Because when the gutters overflow, then water won’t be redirected and debris will pile on the roof, damaging it.
Most of the time, the overflow happens whenever the gutters are clogged. So you can simply clean them out and to prevent the problem, consider investing in a gutter guard so that debris cannot pile.
Leaking Rain Gutter Repair
If your gutters are leaking, then there could be two different problems. Either or both of them. The first thing you should check is the seams. The seams can split, rust, and come apart, which will cause leaks.
The next thing to check for is for holes. Holes aren’t common but when it comes to old gutters, they can rust or an animal can pick at weak spots and cause it to wear a hole when the debris washes through.
To fix a leaking rain gutter, all you need to do is caulk them. Clean them and then apply a silicone caulk which will take care of holes of most sizes. You can also use roofing cement for round holes and caulk for cracks.
Sagging Gutter Repair
This one may be obvious to most people. After all, when something is sagging, it usually means there is too much weight put on it. So when the gutters are sagging, it means they are too full of water and debris.
Properly installed gutters should drop about 1/4 inch for every 10 feet. So check this first. If there is less than that, then you probably need to adjust them so the water can properly flow through the gutters.
If this isn’t the problem, then make sure that you have enough brackets to support the gutter. Add one in the sagging spots and this should take care f the problem immediately, and the water can flow smoothly again.
Sectioned Gutter Repair
If you notice a rusty spot or broken spot of the gutter, it is probably best to replace that section only. There are two ways you can do this and both of them work fine, and in the end, they will cost about the same too.
Since gutters usually only come in the same sized lengths, you can remove one section and replace it with a new one. Alternatively, you can saw away the affected part and install a new smaller piece, but this is a little less effective.
Gutter Repair: Downspout
Gutter downspouts should definitely not be ignored. The downspout is the part of the gutter that is curved and lets the water escape the gutter pipe. You’ll find it near the ground with water flowing out of it when it rains.
The entire vertical and curved part of the gutter can be considered the downspout, but it’s the curved part that is the official piece. This is what we will primarily refer to today when speaking of the downspout.
Downspout Loose
This is an easy fix, it simply means that the screws are loose. So pull the downspout away and push the downspout sections back together securely. There should be holes for it, but if not then drill some.
Most of the time, 3/8-inch sheet metal screws will do the best job, so get at least two of these and drill one on either side. Just don’t use long screws or the debris will get stuck in them and cause even more problems.
Downspout Clogged
This is also easy. All you have to do is unfasten the downspout from the rest of the gutter and then remove any debris that is clogging it. You can use a snake from the bottom or get a ladder and push everything down.
After you finish, just reattach the downspout and you are good to go. You can do this without taking the gutter apart, but it usually helps if you take it off for easier access and to have a visual on the clogs.
Downspout Pooling Water
If your downspout isn’t redirected to a specified location, it can allow water to pool at the foundation, which defeats the purpose of having gutters in the first place. To prevent this from happening, get a diverter.
A downspout diverter redirects the water to a specified location. This is very similar to the way that a septic tank will have a drain field. There are many options for draining your gutters but if you have the land, you won’t have a problem.
How To Prevent Gutter Problems
The best way to do gutter repairs the right way is to prevent the problems from happening. Although this isn’t always possible, it is ideal. And there are only a few steps you need to take to ensure it happens.
These may be obvious and there may be more, but these are the simplest things you can do that will definitely help you more than anything else. So take them seriously and ensure that you heed the words.
Keep Them Clean
This is super important. During the rainy seasons, clean the gutters once every month or two if you have a lot of trees around your home. But in most cases, you can get buy with cleaning them twice a year.
You can hire someone to do this for you, but generally, a rubber glove and a ladder is all you need to really take care of the problem. This can prevent 90% of all problems you may have faced in the future.
Small Repair ASAP
If you see a screw loose, screw it in. If you see a bit of sagging, install a bracket. Any time you see anything that isn’t normal for your gutters, fix it before it becomes a problem and you will neer have a problem.
It can still be considered a repair but it won’t be considered a problem if you fix it as soon as possible. This should be said for all problems in life and around your home. So take a look and a walkthrough once a week.
Annual Roof Inspection
If you do nothing else, do this. It isn’t just good for your gutters but for your entire roof. Roof inspections are so important and hardly anyone does them often enough. Just like you need a yearly checkup, so does your roof.
The problem is that most people also skip their own yearly. So of course they will skip their roof’s yearly. Try to avoid being one of those people, it will save you a lot of money, in the end, to pay for one yearly roof inspection.
Replace Gutters
Your gutters won’t last a lifetime. If yours are cracking, peeling, and covered with mold, then you should probably replace them. You can get by with repairs for a while but there comes a time when you need to go all the way.
When this happens, don’t see it as a loss, see it as a gain. New gutters will always work better than old ones if they are replaced properly. So go ahead and replace them and be excited about the new operation.
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