Spring Cleaning and Fixing your Rain Gutters
Well folks, spring is on its way; time to bust out those spring cleaning moves! With the warmer weather comes snowmelt, rain and large amounts of water. If your home rain gutters are not maintained then that could cause a huge mess for you. Think about it, the debris of leaves and twigs, the mud, and the pebbles that accumulate during the late fall and early winter is astonishing and they then cause the large amounts of water to become backed-up and start spewing everywhere! There are a few simple do it yourself fixes and spring cleaning things you can do if you do not feel like hiring a professional for cleaning or new installation.
Spring Cleaning your Gutters
The first thing you should do is gather your materials. Place a tarp or bucket on the ground to drop debris on, get out the ladder and move it into place without it laying on the actual rain gutter track, and put on work gloves to protect your hands and make the work easier. Next, run some water through the gutter to determine the areas in need. Gather the debris and dirt and toss them on the tarp. Though it may be tedious and take a long time, your rain gutters and leak-free home will appreciate your hard work! If after you finish this task, you simply hate it and are going to dread doing this next year, look into installing a debris shield to assist with collection without clogging the gutter.
DIY Fixes for your Rain Gutters
Leaking rain gutters can be caused from a variety of issues including separated seams, holes in the frame, or sagging. After you have cleaned out your gutter and there is still a problem, take a look below to fix your problem!
- Sagging Rain Gutters: If your rain gutters are sagging, it is usually due to standing water. Check the drains for signs of standing water. Next you should check the slope of the gutter; it should slope about ¼ inch every 10 feet. Fixing a sagging rain gutter is simple; all you need to do is reinforce the gutter by tightening or replacing the clips!
- Leaking Rain Gutters at the Seam: This is probably the simplest of solutions. If a gutter is leaking from the seam, first you need to clean out and dry the area that is affected. Next you should apply a silicone caulk to the inside and outside seams.
- Leaking Rain Gutter from Holes: Depending on the size of the hole, you may be able to repair it using roofing cement for smaller holes or sheet metal for the larger holes. For smaller holes, simply clean the gutter and use a putty knife to spread a generous amount of roofing cement on and around the hole. For larger holes, place a layer of roofing cement in the gutter, followed with a patch of sheet metal, and then another layer of roofing cement over the whole thing. This provides for a little bit more support.
By Talia DiFulvio
