Fix Leaky Rain Gutters

This guide will teach you a few simple repairs that will keep your downspout joints tight and reliably leak free for many years.

Fix leaky rain gutters.

Adjust or add gutter hangers as needed see more about hangers. If your gutter is still basically sound the easiest way to stop the leak is by covering the damaged area with roof and gutter repair tape available at home centers and hardware stores. Gutter leaks usually start at rusty spots or seams that have opened up because of expansion and contraction. Standing water in gutters eventually will rust galvanized steel seams or seep through the seams in aluminum gutters.

See pic for reference. If it is large use a piece of galvanized metal flashing. If the hole is small you can use plastic roofing cement. If your gutters are leaking the prime suspects are the joints between sections.

If the metal gutter parts have rusted through you can quickly and easily patch it. The best caulks however will provide years of service won t harden over time and will remain flexible enough to move with the gutter s expansion and contraction due to. A typical place for leaks to occur in the gutter system is at the downspout joints. Learning how to fix leaky gutters is an easy inexpensive project you can do yourself.

First check for signs of standing water and sagging. Using the right caulk when repairing exterior rain gutters will minimize future repairs. Here s two ways to not repair a leaky gutter and one solid way to do the job correctly so that it holds for years not weeks. How to fix leaky gutters.

Use gutter sealant patches and hangers to fix sagging and leaky gutters at a cost of only a few dollars. Seal leaky gutter joints and small holes using gutter sealant applied from the inside the gutter. Do not apply silicone on top of silicone or on top of the old gutter sealant. Repair larger holes using a gutter patch kit or a scrap of metal flashing glued.

Over time gravity can cause joints to open up or they can get jostled from below and come loose. Rain gutters take a lot of abuse. Virtually any caulk will stick to a leaky gutter once the gutter is dry and clean. Rushing water during rainstorms exposure to weather extremes heavy loads of snow in the coldest climes clogs of fallen leaves and the general ravages of time.