Spend
just one Saturday morning twice a year-Fall and Spring-inspecting,
cleaning, and repairing the gutters and downspouts on your home
and chances are that you will never ever be troubled by gutter and
downspout problems that can food the basement, seriously damage
the roof and rot and ruin the siding on the house-not to mention
the minor damage such as crumbling mortar joints, peeling and cracking
paint, and gutter ice jams. Gutters
catch rain and snow melt flowing off the roof and carry it to the
downspouts (leaders), which disperse it harmlessly away from the
house through drain pipes or natural lawn grading. Pools of water
that collect near the foundation, streaked house paint, damp or
flooded basements, or ridges in the ground under the eaves are all
signs that the gutters are not working properly.
Usually
a fast inspection will show that leaves or a stray ball is causing
a water-blocking problem; the solution can take a couple of minutes
to a couple of hours of your time.
GENERAL
MAINTENANCE:
Inspection and maintenance each Spring and Fall can prevent most
serious gutter problems. At this time remove leaves and other debris
with a whiskbroom that fits inside the gutter and a garden hose
to wash away the small pieces. If downspouts need cleaning, use
the garden hose as a hydro ram, threading it down the spout with
the water and nozzle turned on full blast. Or you can use a plumber's
snake to clean the spout.
Strainers-
Strainers are wire or plastic "baskets" that fit into the openings
of downspouts. Their only job is to catch leaves at the spout opening
so the leaves do not inch down the pipe and clog it. Strainers are
very inexpensive and easy to put in-easier and less costly than
rodding the spout or replacing it with a new spout
Surface
Care-|
Gutter maintenance includes painting the gutters as needed on
the outside and coating the insides with liquid asphalt roofing
cement every 3 years or so. You can use regular house paint on the
outsides of gutters, provided that they have been first primed with
a metal under coater. If you are painting brand new gutters, degrease
the metal with vinegar and water first. (Or let them weather 6 months.)
Then apply a metal undercoater over which two coats of house structure
or trim paint is applied. If gutters develop pinhole leaks and leaks
at connections, you usually can seal these breaks with silicone
caulking compound.
Straps
and Hangers-
Check gutter straps and hangers, including gutter spikes, on an
annual basis. If loose, re-nail. If broken, replace. For proper
drainage, gutters should be pitched about 1/16 inch per running
foot. This is not an easy measurement to make. Instead, pour a bucket
of water at the opposite end of the downspout and watch the water
flow out. If it tends to puddle and pool in certain spots, adjust
the gutter hanger up just a tad. Hangers can be re-nailed higher
or lower on the roof with hot dipped galvanized or aluminum nails.
Or you can bend the straps with pliers for adjustment and pitch.
If gutter spikes are used and can't be removed, cut through the
nail at the end of the ferrule inside the gutter with a hacksaw.
Then install new gutter spikes and adjust for pitch.
Leaks-
You can buy gutter patch kits for large leaks. Or, you can cut a
patch from 55-lb. roll roofing and embed the patch in asphalt cement
over the hole in the gutter. If the hole is small, try pressing
a piece of adhesive-backed aluminum tape over the hole. Keep in
mind that patches are only temporary. You should replace the damaged
gutter as soon as possible. Gutter replacement often is easier than
gutter patching.
Splash
blocks-
Flooding problems start when the downspout doesn't empty into a
storm sewer or other drainage system. Accumulated rainwater can
form pools around shrubbery or even cause leaks into the basement.
A concrete splash block, or a fiberglass one, will cure most problems
of this type. If drainage is severe, consider a dry well.
