Leaking Gutter- What To Do?

A leaking gutter can cause serious damage to your home. When a gutter leak’s, water builds up, overflows and can cause mould and mildew to develop, consequently causing structural damage. This may sound a little dramatic, but it really is important to repair guttering as soon as you notice it to prevent a small leak snowballing into a much bigger, more dangerous and expensive problem.

Your gutter in essentially part of your roof, so damage to this should be taken just as seriously. Many people don’t truly understand the function of a gutter, assuming it’s set up to maintain and salvage your property’s appearance. In fact, it collects water from your roof and safely guides it down into a drain to protect your home from the rain, which can cause erosion. The water should be lead safely along the gutter to the downpipe, which then leads to a drain down to the sewage pipes below. Simple but effective!

Damage to your gutter can come in many forms but the most common issues are leaking, sagging, overflowing and pooling run off, whether that be inside or outside the house. Each of these issues should be taken equally as seriously as if left could ultimately cause damage to your house and it’s foundation. Some issues can be handled yourself, although you may prefer to call in a professional to ensure the job done right.

Is my gutter leaking?

Great question! It can be hard to tell if your gutter is leaking, especially when it’s raining. Here are some ways to check if you’ve got a leak:

• Look for visible cracks on your gutter, whatever the size.
• Water marks or stains below or around your gutter are a sign of water escaping.
• Peeling paint. This usually indicates there’s been some kind of leak.
• Blocked gutters or downspouts which can be the root cause of overflows.

How do I fix it?

If you’ve carried out the above checks and believe you’ve got a leak, we’ve created a step by step guide for you to patch this up yourself:

• Check the joints first. This is where the majority of leaks will come from.
• Add an even but generous layer of silicone-rubber caulking onto the seams. Make sure you cover the seams from both inside and outside of the gutter to seal any cracks or gaps completely.
• If you spot any small holes, we advise you use roofing cement to cover them up. Ensure the cement is warm (if you’re lucky enough to have warm weather you should be okay, otherwise we advise warming this to room temperature) before using. You can use a putty knife to spread the cement.
• For holes that are larger you should use a metal patch to make sure the hole is patched up completely. Add a layer of cement to the hole, followed by the metal patch and then coated again in another layer of cement, covering the metal layer. Voila!

If you’d prefer to sit back and let someone else do the dirty work, we at ProClean have a team of friendly, skilled professionals who would be more than happy to come and get this sorted for you!