Repairs for gutters

Press, 24 April 1984, Page 30

Repairs for gutters

When you examine the gutters and downspouts around the house, take a thin screwdriver and scraping knife along to test for weaknesses in the metal and fascia boards. Then look for • debris that may have clogged gutters and downspouts ® flaking or peeling paint 0 cracks in connecting seams • rust spots and holes in metal © gutters that have sagged due to loose fastenings ® loosened straps along downspouts © soft spots in fascia boards that indicate dry rot Use a level to check the slope of gutters. They should tilt away from valleys and toward downspouts about 25mm every 6m. • Reviving what is basically a sound roof drainage system may involve nothing more than unplugging downspouts that have been clogged with debris, or resealing a few joints in the gutters. If you need to correct for dry rot in the fascia boards, make fascia repairs first. It may be necessary to remove a section or two of gutter to get at the damaged wood. Unclogging gutters and downspouts: Remove leaves, twigs, and other debris from gutter troughs. (Use gloves.) Then, with a stiff brush and

garden hose, loosen dirt that has caked along the inside of the gutters. If a downspout is blocked, first try to flush debris out with the garden hose turned on full force. If that fails to clear the downspout, feed a plumber’s snake into it. Then flush loosened debris out with a hose.

To prevent new litter 'from accumulating, lay mesh screens over the troughs. The screens will deflect leaves, twigs, and other debris over the edge of the gutter. You can also protect the downspouts with strainers designed to admit water while filtering out debris. Patching leaks: You can seal broken seams or small holes produced by rust in gutters and downspouts with dabs of plastic cement, mastic, or butyl gutter and lap seal.

To repair holes larger than 6mm however, you will need to cut and apply patches of canvas or aluminium.

Patching cracks and small holes. If a leak develops at a joint, apply silicone sealant around the seam on the outside of the gutter. To patch a hole smaller than 6mm, first brush away dirt from the area and then roughen it with a wire brush or coarse sandpaper. Wipe away grit.

Next, apply a thin coat of plastic cement or butyl gutter and lap seal; extend the cement 15cm beyond the hole in both directions.

Patching large holes: Clean and roughen the area around the defect according to the preceding instructions, and apply a thick coat of plastic cement. Then embed a patch of aluminium, canvas, or fibreglass mat — cut to extend beyond the hole at least 10mm on all sides — into the cement and apply another coat of cement over the patch. Sections of gutter with extensive damage are prob-

ably easier to replace than to repair, but you can correct such damage with a patch cut from the same material cemented in place.

Adjusting gutters: The spikes and straps that support gutters will sag with time, especially in snow country. Every time you clean out accumulated debris, finish by pouring a pail of water into each gutter.

If the water does not drain quickly and efficiently, adjust the bend of the hanger straps to lower the gutter at its downspout and raise the opposite end; the gutter should slope about 25mm every 6m.

Replacing broken hangers: With visegrip pliers, pull out the nail of a defective spike-and-ferrule hanger. Lift shingles to remove broken strap hangers. Use the defective hanger as a guide when buying a replacement.

To avoid weakened nail or screw holes, fasten replacement straps slightly to the side of where the original straps were attached.

Correcting for dry rot in fascia boards: If in poking around with your screwdriver you have found soft spots in the fascia boards, either carve out the dryrotted spot and fill it with a commercially available plastic putty or remove the damaged section of board entirely and replace it with a new one.

In either case, it may be necessary to remove a section of the gutter system temporarily.

When replacing part of a fascia board, use well-sea-soned lumber of the same dimensions as the board you are moving. Apply a wood preservative and then paint to match the rest of the fascia. (Information from “Roofing and Siding,” a Sunset Book.)