There are many problems that can occur with your rain gutters. If you want to prevent damage to your walls and substructure, know what to look for. Any one of the following issues, if left will cause damage. However, even a homeowner can do some basic fixes. Leaking GuttersThe first issue that is common for your gutters is simple leaking. Usually, this means the connections between individual sections are rusted. Despite protective coatings on these edges, water buildup can still eventually cause rust, or cause bulging or sagging. Sometimes a simple adjustment of the connections may stop any leaking, but it would be better to make sure. Allow the gutter to dry out and then make sure the connections are clean. A silicone-rubber caulking found at your local hardware store needs to be used on the inside and outside of the junctions to close any leaks. Visibly small holes will need to be closed with roofing cement. A basic putty knife can be used to spread the roofing cement around any of these holes. Warm days or at a minimum room temperature will help the roofing cement to spread easier. In the case of larger holes, use a sheet metal patch along with the roofing cement under and over it. If your home is in an area that has a very wet climate, you may want to consider utilizing a dry well system. After taking care to check local building codes, you could create a hole a minimum of 2 feet and a maximum of 4 feet wide and about 3 feet deep. A good substitute for this is a 55-gallon drum with both ends removed and buried filled with rocks. The idea is to have your underground drainage pipes slope into whichever dry well system you decide to use. It will keep the water away from the substructure of your home. Overflowing Gutters Another issue you could have is rain gutters that overflow. Again, since it is something to do with water, this could cause serious issues with substructure or the walls of your home. Overflow is commonly seen during heavy rain because the gutters are stopped up with debris, or the size of your gutter and downspouts are not large enough to handle the rainfall. If your gutters are stopped up with leaves and other debris, cleaning them out by removing the clog areas at the outlets will clear the overflowing problem. However, if you still have overflow after removing anything that blocks the outlets, then you may need to install larger downspouts and gutters. Sagging Rain GuttersMaterials that sag in heavy rain are most often aluminum, vinyl, and galvanized steel. Due to the weight of heavy water, the brackets at the junctions could also begin to loosen. This could cause bending to increase. If there are signs of standing water or marks on the inner sides of the gutters that is a positive indicator of sagging. If you have a level and a ladder handy, you can make sure the gutter drops a ¼ inch every ten feet towards the ground to double check. Depending on the type of hanger your gutters use, either spike-and-ferrule hanger or a clip gutter hanger, you may need a hammer to drive the spikes further into solid wood. A long-galvanized screw would be best if the original nail does not make it to the wood. Clip gutter hanger adjustment involves lifting the roofing material and refastening the hangers to the sheathing. This is a more work intensive operation, you do not want to create cracks or holes in your roofing! Rain Gutter Contractor Help! If you are experiencing issues with your gutters and don’t have the time, equipment or just don’t want to deal with it. Call your local Boise Rain Gutter experts, Gutter Boise! 208-647-0779
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Rain Gutter Contractor in Boise Idaho. Archives
October 2017
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