The rain gutters on your home are important, as they protect it from costly water damage. From time to time, gutters need to be maintained. Gutters can become loose or even fall off the structure. When gutters are not functioning properly, your home and its foundation are vulnerable to staining, rot, and many other expensive problems. If you discover a loose gutter on your home, here are the steps to fix it:
- Make sure you have work gloves on your hands for protection. Set up a ladder at one end of the gutter. If it’s ladder that slides out, make sure all the locks are secure. Also, make sure there aren’t any wet leaves or anything under the ladder that could cause it to slip. It’s also a good idea to make sure that you have another person around, in case there are any problems. Sadly, a lot of injuries happen from people falling off of ladders.
- Climb the ladder and check the gutter for any leaves or other debris. Remove whatever you find.
- Around the loose areas of the gutter, look for gutter spikes. These are short screws on the side of the gutter farthest from the house. They go through the gutter and into the fascia board. Use a drill to remove these spikes.
- Throw the spikes away, as well as any sleeves (known as ferrules) around them.
- You’ll need some screws 7-8 inches in length. Put one screw into each hole where there used to be a gutter spike. Screws go in further than gutter spikes, going all the way through the fascia board and into the rafters.
- Put a sleeve, or ferrule, over each screw after it passes the first hole, but before it goes through the second hole into the fascia board.
- Carefully screw each screw until the head just touches the gutter. Don’t tighten it too much, as this will dent the gutter.
The preceding steps should help you secure a loose gutter. If you notice any other problems with your gutter system, you may want to contact a professional in your area for advice or assistance. If you’re located in Souther California, Rain Gutter Pros is ready to help!