Can My Guttering Be Repaired?

We already know that gutters are essential for diverting rainwater and melting the snow off your roofs. However, if your gutters are damaged or not fully functioning the water will no longer be diverted from the exterior surface of your home, It can eventually store behind your homes barrier around the foundations of your home. You can visually see signs of damaged guttering which include rust, leaks, sagging and dents.

It is possible to repair your gutters but we only recommend this if the overall condition of the guttering is good and there are only a couple of areas that need fixing. Common gutter repairs include patching a hole or leak, replacing a small section where the damage has occurred, repairing a connection or repairing an elbow or downspout. You can make minor repairs to your gutter system, however at some point if you are constantly completing repairs it will not benefit you financially, we recommend that the best way to ensure your gutters remain in good condition is to complete routine maintenance.

Ensure you clean your gutters regularly and remove leaves, twigs, debris ect as it will protect against sagging, water back up, damages and rust, which will allow the water to flow freely. We advise you check the gutters once a year for damage. When it rains, water should flow down your roof, into the gutters and out through the downspout away from your house. If you can see the water dripping erratically from the roof of your home, it may not be due to the gutters, it could be a sign of rotting fascia boards which are behind the gutters.

Maintaining your gutters can be part of your DIY jobs. However, if you are not able to climb a latter or perform roof work you can hire someone who is insured to complete the tasks for you, they will be able to check your gutters and complete any work if it is needed.

You may need to consider replacing the gutters if there are numerous little repairs that need to be made. You could look around your home checking for water damage or if the gutters are sagging. The life expectancy of a gutter system is about 20 years but this can increase to 30 if you have completed regular checks and replaced any damages to the gutter/fascia system.

If you believe it is time to replace your whole gutters, make sure you invest in an adequate system. If you are going to hire someone to complete the work, ensure they have insurance and you could ask for references from people they have previously completed work for. There are standard practices in terms for the installation itself that need to be followed. The gutter support should never be more than two feet apart from each one. This helps to support the weight of the water and ice if it begins to store in the gutter. The back of the gutter should be behind the roof flashing to ensure that the water isn't able to leak between the gutter and the fascia board. It is also recommended to use oversized downspouts so they can hold the weight when there are heavy rain and lots of snow that is melting. The excess weight can cause gutters to sag, pull away from the house or become bent, however if you do use oversized downspouts, they drain much faster and are not able to clog up as easy.

As with every other aspect of your home, we recommend periodic maintenance and routine visual inspections, they can prolong the life span of the gutter system and keep your house foundations and the exterior of the home intact.