A gutter that’s clogged and sagging may overflow and cause extensive damage to your home’s eaves fascia and soffit. Here is how to prevent this and some effective tips for gutter repair Santa Rosa.
Repairing gutters in Santa Rosa becomes mandatory for all homeowners, particularly during the rainy and fall seasons when trees tend to shed leaves that fly around and clog gutters around the home. In order to maintain your gutter and to make it remain free from clogging, you need to follow certain procedures.
- Clean the gutter: The maiden step is cleaning the rubble out of the gutter. Decomposed leaves, which tend to clog the gutter by way of compost or mulch is basically the debris that needs to be removed first. Look at the downspout particularly because if it’s getting clogged by debris, the water doesn’t drain sufficiently. This coupled with mud and mildew will give you a sagging gutter.
- Take Note of Spikes: All spikes going through your gutters, through its fascia board and subsequently into a rafter that’s behind it, need thorough checking as well. In most cases, such spikes bypass the rafter entirely, because the former tends to work its way out of the hole as time passes. It makes sense to put in a set of fresh gutter spike in order to securely fasten the gutters once again.
When you replace gutter spikes, makes sure to replace the old ones as also ferrules. Remove one old set and install a new one in its place. Place the fresh ferrule behind the spike hole directly inside the gutter while driving the gutter screw into the spike hole. Using a speed drill, thread the fastener slowly through the hole of the spike, the ferrule and into the fascia hole. Keep threading the fastener till the head becomes even with the gutter, while the screw has also fixed itself to the rafters on the fascia board’s other side.
- Identify Leaks: Another thing that merits an equal amount of attention is the sources of any leaks. These could be holes in your gutters as also seam caulking that has cracked. Take a chisel to scrape off the old caulking and dry out the area fully. Apply bead silicon sealing generously to prevent water from seeping behind the gutter and damaging boards. Also, check out all downspout rivets. In all probability, they’ll either be loose or may have fallen off completely. With the help of a rivet gun, secure them afresh.
- Cleaning your gutters: The most efficient and quick way to clean the gutter is to use a pressure washer which will blow the dirt away. This also won’t damage your gutter, provided they are fixed with new spikes or screws. The real trick is to avoid a hit on the gutter from a high angle. This might blow off the shingles when a high-pressure water jet is used.
- Replacement: If your gutter has become rusty, replacing it with an aluminum or vinyl gutter is advisable as these are rust-proof. However, should you decide to keep the old ones, scrape off the rust with thick sandpaper. Then paint them with a good primer followed by a coating of good-quality anti-rust paint. You can also use a splash block to prevent the water from seeping out of the downspouts by digging a suitably deep trench next to your house. This would also keep water away from the structure’s foundation.
In case you are facing issues with gutters and need professionals in Santa Rosa for gutter repairs, call ARS Roofing. We are one of the oldest roofing service providers in the area.