Bowing gutters can be unsightly and cause water to leak into your home.
Fortunately, fixing bowing gutters is a relatively simple process to get them back to their proper shape.
The gutters are designed to move during a storm, like rain, making your home safe from leaks.
However, when gutters start bowing if it starts to rain frequently, there are a few things you can do to fix.
Here is how you can repair bowing gutters in six easy steps:
1. Find the Loose Screws or Bolts
If your gutters are crooked, it’s most likely because one of the nails or screws is loose.
If there is no obvious loose nail or screw, inspect each gutter from above to find and tighten any that might be loose.
If you need to replace a screw because it is too far gone, use another screw with a similar size and type of head.
This can be purchased at your local hardware store.
2. Remedy Leaks and Clogged Gutters
Even if your gutters aren’t bowing, you could have a problem with a gutter clog.
These clogs can cause your rain gutters to bow because they won’t be able to handle the weight of their water.
If you don’t deal with a clog in your gutter, the water can leak into the underside of your roof shingles and eventually cause rot or mold.
This can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to fix.
3. Tape the Gutter
Tape the gutter so it can’t move, and keep it taut by keeping pressure on the tape and making sure you tape from side to side throughout the gutter.
Even though you want your gutters to be taut during a storm, they are more likely to leak when they are loose during regular rainstorms because they won’t have any resistance.
If you have multiple gutters, repeat this process for each of them.
4. Bending the Gutter
With each gutter, create a bend that follows the contour of the roof and is about 1/2 inch away from where it meets the roof.
This allows for room for water to get into places but still be stopped by the edge of your shingles.
Make sure the bend is placed at the bottom of the gutter.
5. Repair the Roofing
This step is important because shingles do not operate properly if there is water on them.
If you need to replace a section of the roof or attach a new roof, do so before you repair your bowing gutters so that your roof isn’t compromised during this project.
This can cause leaks and rot in years to come.
6. Test for Leaks
When you have completed this project, you should check your gutters for leaks.
This helps ensure that your gutter is fixed properly and allows you to find out if it moves during a storm or if there are any other problems.
The process outlined above should resolve most of your issues with bowing gutters.
These gutters are designed to move during a storm so that water can get through them and prevent them from leaking into your home.
If you notice this happening now and don’t want the cost of replacing all of your gutters, try these steps to find the problem and fix it before it becomes a problem in the future.
Our team at True Aluminum repairs and installs gutters for residents in Wesley Chapel, Plant City, Lakeland, and the surrounding areas.
Do you need gutters repaired or installed? Give True Aluminum a call today at (863) 804-6021 for a consultation.
