Well spring is here and people are starting to notice their leaking gutters again. Gutters across the course of winter can have multiple problems which lead to new leaks in spring. The gutter leaks over a front door of house is the one type of leak everyone notices. The gutter leaks such as this one, is why I was called to a clients house to see why the gutter was leaking.
The client had a concern with a recurring gutter leak in a corner where two gutters came together. This is a spot that does get leaks more often then anywhere else. The corners need to have a sealer put on the seams of the gutters where they come together inside the gutter. The sealer over time starts to lift and fall apart. When this happens it gives the water a place to go instead of the downspout. This drip over the tops of door ways can be dangerous in climates that are subject to cold weather. During the day the drip runs off the side walk below and then freezes as night fall comes creating a ice patch for someone to slip and fall on. A injury lawyers dream and a home owners nightmare.
Many times the leaks in gutters just keep happening over and over again, just like the client above problem. No, matter how many times it was sealed it just kept happening over and over again. Some people think you can just go to the big box hardware stores and buy just regular old caulk. Why not? The caulk states on it that it will seal pretty much all surfaces. The different types of caulks and sealers out there can be very confusing to the home owner. You can use these different types of caulks and it will seal it, but for only a short time and the leak will be back again. There is a actual gutter sealer that is used by many gutter installers that should be used on the end caps and corners where gutters meet.
The sealer will state right on it that it is a gutter sealer. The gutter sealer is normally a light gray in color. The color does not come into play as the sealer is used inside the gutters where no one will see it unless you are cleaning your gutters out. This is another reason why people have gutter leaks. Many people don’t clean there gutters and debris builds up in side and starts to break down or rot inside the gutter. This can lead to a host of very serious problems. The corners are a big collection area for debris. The debris sits in there and starts to cause the sealer to lift and decay itself. Also, water gets under the sealer and then freezes. This then causes the sealer to be lifted off the surface of the gutter. A good gutter protection such as the Gutter Care II gutter protection system can help to slow down the whole leak problem.
The gutter protection system such as the Gutter Care II gutter protection system keeps the debris from getting in the gutters and rotting. Many gutter protection systems have a gap left wide open in the front of the gutter which can still allow some debris into the gutter system which can get stuck in corners or end of the gutter system then causing leaks. Keeping debris out completely will help to stop leaks in the gutter system.
The key to stopping leaks is to have a good gutter system installed on your house correctly for starters. Then if leaks do start to happen make sure to use a actual gutter sealer caulk to seal the leaks. The big deal is to keep your gutters free from debris by using a good gutter protection system such as the Gutter Care II gutter protection system. When you do all of these things you should have a great working gutter system.
As with any home projects safety first.
