How to Repair Leaking Rain Gutters – Practical Tips

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(Newswire.net — March 14, 2019) — Are you searching for tips on how to repair leaking rain gutters in your home? If yes, this article is designed for you. If leaking rain gutters are left unattended, then they can cause serious damage to your home and its foundation. Luckily, there are some fixes you can do on your own to save your home from future damages. If your rain gutters are leaking, you need to check the joints between the sections first.

Stagnant water in gutters will cause the steel seams to rust. You need to check for any signs of sagging and stagnant water. Add or adjust gutter hangers as required. This post will provide crucial tips on how to repair a leaking rain gutter that you need to know.

How to Repair Leaking Rain Gutters

Allow the inner parts of the gutter to dry, and clean all the leaking seams by brushing them. Use the gutter caulking compound to seal any leakage available. Patch the small holes in your gutter using roofing cement. A putty knife will help you spread the cement evenly around the hole. Warm days are ideal when performing such repairs. If it’s during the winter season, then you need to warm the roofing cement for best results.

Large holes in the gutters can be repaired by enclosing them with patches. If your home is in a region that receives abundant rainfall, your downspout should run into a well. The underground pipes should have a good slope to ensure that no water is left at your home’s foundation.

Types of Leaking Gutters and How to Fix Them

Overflowing Rain Gutters

Overflowing gutters present serious problems to your home’s foundation and walls. If your gutters normally overflow after a heavy downfall, it’s either your downspouts or gutters are blocked, or they are not large enough to handle the volume of the runoff.

In many cases, gutters clog because of debris and leaves that prevent water from reaching the downspouts. In fact, these leaves and debris clog the outlets. When that happens, you need to clean your gutter thoroughly to allow free flow of water. Gutter guards are used to prevent leaves and debris from getting into your gutters.

Sagging gutters are a different issue and will continue sagging as long as more water flows into them. However, if your gutters are not clogged or sagging then you may be required to install larger gutters and downspouts.

Sagging Rain Gutters

If your rain gutters sag, they become heavy causing their hangers to loosen and eventually start to bed. As this occurs, they stop to drain rainwater efficiently like they do under normal circumstances. They cause rainwater to sag along their lengths.

To know whether your gutters sag, check for any signs of stagnant water or marks of water on the inner side of the gutters. Use the bubble level to check the slope of gutter. To repair sagging gutters, you need to reseat the hangers or replace them.

Gutter Downspout is Loose or Clogged

Sometimes the downspout breaks loose between sections or from the gutter. This mostly occurs when the elbows become clogged with leaves and debris. To fix such a gutter, you need to disassemble the elbow and remove all the debris.

Conclusion

Don’t allow your leaking rain gutter to destroy your walls and home’s foundation. Use any of the gutter repair tips listed above to help you solve your leaking gutter problem. This article has given practical tips on how to repair leaking rain gutters that homeowners should know.