Is Part Of Your Gutter Sagging?
Posted on: 2 April 2015
One of the most important parts of the exterior of your home is the rain gutter system. This metal or plastic material running along the edge of your roof prevents rainwater from soaking the siding and foundation of your home, preventing costly damage. If your gutters are older, look around to check for sags. You'll need to fix these right away to prevent leaks and mosquito growth in the pooling water. Here is a simple and cost-effective strategy to fix these sagging areas.
Step 1: Recruit Some Friends
Repairing a sagging gutter is not a job for one person because it involves removing a portion of the guttering itself. Ask a couple of friends to meet you at your home on a particular day and time to complete this task.
Step 2: Pick Up Some Supplies
You'll need some supplies to move forward with this project. Grab these items and have them all handy when you start:
- several gutter brackets (with screws)
- a ladder
- a cordless electric screwdriver
- a level
- a caulking gun
- one tube of silicone caulk
- a utility knife
Step 3: Remove the Sagging Gutter Section
Set up the latter under at the first bracket of the gutter section that's sagging.
Remove the gutter clips that hold the gutter on the brackets. Move the ladder down the length of the entire piece and remove all the clips.
Have your friends help remove this piece as you're removing the clips. Set the gutter section in a safe place where it won't get stepped on, bent or broken.
Step 4: Replace the Brackets
Use your cordless screwdriver, in the reverse setting, to remove the screws holding the bracket to the exterior of your home.
Attach the tube of silicone caulk to the caulking gun and cut off the end of the tube with the utility knife.
Fill the screw holes with just a little dab of silicone caulk.
Grab the cordless screwdriver and set it to the "screw in" setting. Attach the new brackets right next to the spot where you removed the old ones.
Use your level to ensure that the brackets are evenly spaced and sloped the exact same as before.
Step 5: Tighten Loose Screws
Double check each screw to make sure they are tight.
Step 6: Reinstall the Gutter Section
Ask your friends to help you reinstall the gutter piece by placing the gutter into the brackets, the same way it came out, and then reattach the clips.
Plan to spend a couple hours on this project. It may take a little longer than that, depending on how many brackets you need to replace. Call a rain gutter professional like Custom Exteriors if you run into any problems with these steps.
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