How to Repair Roof Gutters

Gutters collect rainwater and move it away from the house, avoiding splashing against siding or soil damage.

With age, gutter joints may develop leaks due to misalignment or rust damage. To seal these seams, apply roofing adhesive or gutter silicone and watch for any signs of water damage along the joint area.

Gutters attach to the fascia boards on your home’s roof using screws or other fasteners, but over time these fasteners may loosen. As a result, small leaks may develop around the fastener and water may seep into the fascia board.

Loose Gutters

Gutters are an essential element of your home’s drainage system. They collect and transport away rainwater that could otherwise cause serious damage to siding, foundations, and other materials if left unchecked.

Various causes, such as improper installation, misalignment, and damage from tree branches or other debris, can cause sagging gutters. They may also sag due to ice dams that form in cold climates when melting snow refreezes at their edge.

Fixing loose gutters is a relatively straightforward and inexpensive project you can do yourself, provided you feel confident climbing a ladder and have all the necessary supplies.

First, identify where your gutters are sagging. If you notice any broken or damaged brackets, remove them with a screwdriver and fill any holes with weatherproof caulk. Drill new holes for brackets directly above the old ones so that the pitch remains unchanged; attaching the new brackets to these newly-drilled holes will secure the new brackets to their new locations and replace the gutter.

Loose Fasteners

Gutters are meant to protect your home from moisture damage, but over time they may become loose. This allows water to seep into your siding or foundation and cause stains and rot.

Fortunately, there are a few easy steps you can take to repair your gutters and avoid future leaks. First, inspect the fasteners on your gutters for loose or broken pieces.

If you find a screw, spike, or nail that isn’t working correctly, try using fastener tape. It can help hold screws in place and make them easier to work with.

Another solution involves changing the angle of a downspout’s elbow. This modification directs water away from your siding in a more subtle manner.

Gutter nails and spikes may become loose due to weather changes or rusted. To replace these screws and spikes with threaded versions instead of nails or spikes, click here.

Loose Sections

Gutters are designed to slope slightly in order to direct water runoff toward the downspouts, but when one section of your gutter is sagging, it can cause water to pool and evaporate or spill over the side. This could result in damage to both your foundation and landscaping, so take action as soon as you notice minor sagging within one of your sections of the gutter.

If you notice your gutter section appearing to be separated from its fascia board, urgent repairs are necessary. This could be caused by old shingles falling off of the roof or weather damage.

Reinstall the pieces by pushing them tight against the fascia board with a hammer, and line up the spike just left or right of where it was originally installed. Use force to push through the aluminum and into the wood fascia underneath; this should solve your issue and prevent future returns.

Loose Downspouts

Loose downspouts can lead to water overflowing the gutters and seepage into your home’s attic or foundation. Fortunately, this issue is easily rectified with a few inexpensive repairs.

Make sure your gutters are free from debris and use a garden hose to blow out stubborn obstructions and remove leaves and other objects from the downspout’s base.

If the downspout is loose, act quickly to fix it before water seeps into your home’s attic or foundation. To do this, replace or reattach the downspout straps or clips.