Tips to Repair Your Eavestroughs

As long as there are no signs of damage seen, many homeowners rarely think about their eavestroughs. Most homeowners believe that the eavestrough is working the way it should as far as there are no leaks. Like other elements of your home’s roofing, eavestrough requires regular maintenance. Only when you take proper care of eavestrough can you count on them to shield your home from water damage. Seemingly simple tasks like cleaning the eavestrough at least once a year will enhance their longevity. You need to inspect your eavestroughs regularly to ensure that they are in good condition. Eavestroughs repairs may be necessary from time to time.

Typical Eavestrough Repairs

Like most homeowners, you only probably think about your eavestroughs when something goes wrong. Given the crucial role that the eavestroughs play, you should pay closer attention to them. By channelling water away from your home, eavestroughs allow you to keep your home’s foundation in good shape and prevent it from water damage. The foundation holds your home together; you cannot afford to compromise it. You should always ensure that your eavestroughs are in good condition to keep water away from your foundation.

Regular Eavestrough Maintenance Prevents Damage

Keeping your eavestrough free from dirt and debris is not hard. Your eavestrough does not require daily inspections to keep it in a good working condition. All you need is to maintain a regular eavestrough maintenance schedule. Never allow your eavestrough to go for months without maintaining them. Sticking to a regular eavestrough maintenance schedule will ensure that your eavestroughs will serve you for many years. Some of the typical eavestrough repair problems include:

Clogged Eavestroughs that Won’t Drain

The most common eavestrough problem is clogging. If your eavestrough is clogged, it is likely to overflow during the rainy season. You might compromise your home’s foundation if you can’t divert water from it. Cleaning your eavestrough regularly will prevent the accumulation of dirt, which could lead to clogging. The ideal eavestrough maintenance schedule will vary depending on where you live. Usually, adopting a twice-per-year maintenance schedule is enough to keep your eavestroughs free from clogging. Fall is the ideal season for eavestrough maintenance. By this time, most of the leaver will have fallen. You could also consider cleaning the eavestroughs in spring to ensure that they are clean by the time you receive the April rains. You may consider installing a cover on your eavestrough if you feel that you are dealing with too much debris accumulation in your gutters. It is important to note that eavestrough covers also require regular maintenance.

Sagging Eavestroughs

The leading cause of sagging eavestroughs is the accumulation of leaves, twigs, and debris. The weight of the dirt and debris could make the eavestrough sag. Over time, the hardware (hangers) that hold the eavestroughs to the roof might become loose. If the hangers can no longer hold the excessive weight, they might pull out. There are several ways of dealing with sagging eavestroughs. You should tighten the screws that hold the hangers in place. You also ensure that the hangers are not placed too far apart. The best way to handle this problem is by installing new hangers and ensuring that the hangers are placed close together.

Eavestroughs Leaks

You might have a leak in your eavestrough if you notice water trickling or pouring from the middle of the eavestrough. Leaks could strike when you least expect. However they are easy to fix. For leaky seams, you could use sealant. However, patching is the best way to repair larger holes. When patching a hole on the eavestrough, you should ensure that you use the same material as that used for the rest of the gutter. Using a different material to seal holes on the eavestrough could lead to erosion.

Damaged or Knocked Out Eavestroughs

Heavy rainstorms and windstorms might damage or knock down your gutters. You only need to re-hang the eavestroughs as long as they are not broken or damaged. In case of extensive damage, you might want to consider replacing certain areas of the eavestroughs. You can’t do much to shield your eavestroughs from natural damage. One of the best things you can do is ensure the eavestroughs are installed correctly.

When Eavestroughs are Improperly Angled

Water cannot flow properly if eavestroughs aren’t well-pitched or angled. For every ¼ feet of eavestrough, the slope should be ¼ inch. If you see water standing during a rainstorm, it is an indication that your eavestroughs aren’t angled properly. Bending the eavestrough at the right angle will solve the problem. In some instances, you may have to re-install the eavestroughs, and this calls for professional services.

Improper or Inadequate Eavestrough System

You might face detrimental consequences if your home doesn’t have a proper eavestrough system. Especially during rainstorms, an adequate eavestrough system will come in handy. Whenever you purchase a new eavestrough, you should ensure that you seek professional installation for optimum performance.

Repairing Damaged Eavestroughs

The first step in repairing a leaky eavestrough is to determine the location of the leak. Most leaks occur along the seams. The specific leak issues will depend on the eavestrough type. If your home has metal eavestroughs, the leaks could occur due to corrosion. If your home has vinyl gutters, exposure to elements could lead to leaks at the sections connected by a gasket that deteriorates over time.

Repairing Metal Eavestrough

When repairing a metal eavestrough, you should first clean the area where the leak is located, remove the old sealant and identify the place where water is seeping through. Go ahead and apply a sealant when the joint is clean and dry. The ideal sealant for metal eavestrough is silicone caulk. It is best to perform eavestrough repairs during the dry period when there is no rain expected.

Repairing Vinyl Eavestrough

Vinyl eavestroughs might leak due to gasket causes. You can obtain a gasket replacement for your eavestrough from the local hardware. You could also reach out to the eavestrough manufacturer, who can recommend where to get the gutter. It is even better to contact an experienced vinyl eavestrough repair expert.

Different eavestrough systems have varying lifespans. Usually, an eavestrough system lasts for 20 years before needing a replacement. Whether an eavestrough system lives up to expectations will depend on several factors, including how well it is maintained. Proper eavestroughs maintenance gives you good value for money in the long term.