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Leaking gutters are ticking bombs. The small drips look harmless but may cause great havoc. It can ruin your siding or fascia. It can also cause flooding or damage the foundation of your house. Therefore, it is never a good idea to ignore leaking gutters. Don’t worry, not every leakage is a big problem.
GUTTER LEAKS OR GUTTER OVERFLOW
Gutter leaks are when water drips, seeps, or leaks out of the gutter system anywhere other than from the downspout. However, leaking gutters are often confused with overflowing gutters. Gutter overflow is when the water goes over the tops of the gutters or behind the gutters. Whereas gutter leaks are when the water drips, leaks, or seeps from the undersides of the gutters.
Why are your Rain Gutters Leaking?
There can be many reasons behind the leakage. When it comes to finding the cause behind leaking gutters, call a professional. Most reputable rain gutter companies will offer a free inspection and estimate.
The good news is that if the problem is a small one, they can fix it there and then. If the problem is something you can fix yourself, then that’s another great news.
The most common reasons are:
- Clogs
- Damages
- Leaking Joints
- Sagging
- Loose fasteners
Common Reason Behind Leaking Gutters & How to Fix Them?
Clog in Rain Gutters
A clog is the most common reason behind leaking gutters. When rainwater cascades down, it fills the rain gutters with leaves and debris. Over time, these can lead to a clog. As a result of a clog, the water won’t flow out of the downspout. Instead, it will flow over the sides or even flow up. Fortunately, it is easy to detect and fix.
The clog in rain gutters is very easy to remove. The simplest and fastest method is to use your hands to get the debris out.
Clog in Downspouts
On the other hand, if the clog is in the downspout, disconnect it from the rain gutter. Then, you can clean it. To help avoid the problem, considering using leaf guards. It is also important to clean your rain gutters at least once a year.
Damages
Tough weather conditions can cause damages even in the toughest rain gutters. This brings us to the next reason behind leaking rain gutters. If there are small holes and cracks in your rain gutter system, you will notice minor leakage. But, the small drips can grow bigger over time. The simplest way to check any cracks is to pour water down the rain gutters. Mark the spots where the water leaks. It is easy to fix the leaking gutters with damages. Simply apply a waterproof sealant over cracks and holes. You can also caulk the damaged spots. However, if the cracks are bigger, you will have to replace the damaged section of the rain gutters.
Leaking Joints
Joints are the points where sections of rain gutters meet. With time, the joints may show some leakage. So, if you see a leakage close to the joint, check the area carefully. You may notice that joints have started separating at the points of leaks. Here as well, if you don’t see the separation spot, pour water to detect the leakage.
You can fix the leaking joints in your rain gutters easily. To do this, simply remove the old sealant. And, replace it. This works when the sealant is no longer watertight and is causing leaks. However, if the problem is bigger, you may have to replace the joints.
Gutter Miters
The most common place that you will see gutter leaks are the miters. Gutter miters are the corner joints that take the water around a corner to another gutter section. Without miters the gutters would be separate from each other and every gutter would need it’s own downspout. A good way to think of a gutter miter is a corner joint.
Water will drip from the seams of miters for a few reasons. The first thing people think is that the seal has broken and the miter needs to be resealed. While this is often true there are actually a couple other possibilities that could cause this. Such as clogged downspouts. When the downspout is clogged the water can not drain and eventually it begins to fill up the gutter. That water must go somewhere so it will escape from any seams it can find like the miter seams. Be sure to verify that your downspouts are not clogged before re-sealing the miter.
Two sections of gutter are joined together sometimes for whatever reason and the seam is sealed over will a sealant or caulk. Over time the sealant eats away and the gutter will leak. It all depends on how much water hits the seal, if it drains, etc. Regardless of the cause, if water is leaking from an area where to gutters are joined, then likely the gutter seam needs to be cleaned and re-sealed.
The most common reason for miter leaks (assuming they are sealed properly) is when the gutter pitch is off. When the pitch of the gutters is off the water is not able to flow properly towards the downspout. This will cause water to sit in the gutters. It is frequent for the water to pool in the corners. This water eats the seals away in the miters.
Sagging
When installing gutters, a slight slope is made to allow water to flow easily. With time, rain gutters can start sagging.
There are two main causes behind sagging:
- Loose fasteners
- Water weight/volume