How to Repair a Leaky Gutter

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By Murray Anderson
eHow Contributing Writer

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(4 Ratings)

One of the most aggravating things that happens around a house is when your gutters (or eaves troughs) start to leak, and instead of channeling water off your roof to the down spout, it starts to drip down the side of your house. This isn’t just a minor annoyance; that water running down the side of your house could get under the siding and right into the insulation underneath, making it useless—or you could end up with some pretty ugly stains right down the side of your home that could be a real problem to remove. Fixing a leaky gutter isn’t a hard job—and most homeowners can do it using easy-to-get supplies and some common tools. Here’s how to repair a leaky gutter.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Ladder
Metal flashing (available at home stores)
Steel wool
Tin snips
Asphalt roofing cement or gutter repair compound
Silicon caulking
Small putty knife
Disposable gloves

Step 1

Watch carefully where the water is leaking from the gutter during the next rainfall, so you can position your ladder near the leak.
Step 2

Choose a day when there is no rain in the forecast, set up your ladder, then climb up and check out the size and shape of the hole. While you’re up there, clean any "guck" around the leaking area and use some steel wool to rough up the inside surface of the gutter around the leak.
Step 3

Use tin snips to cut a piece of metal flashing sized to cover the hole in your gutter
Step 4

Wearing disposable gloves, use your putty knife to apply a coat of roof cement. Try to spread it evenly, and if necessary, use your fingers to get it right out to the edges of the patch, then press the patch firmly into place.
Step 5

Hope the forecast doesn’t change and there is no rain for at least a few hours until the patching compound has a chance to set up.

Tips & Warnings

Roofing cement is really messy and difficult to clean up once it dries. Make sure you wear your gloves and if you happen to get some on a spot visible from the ground, clean it up quickly (before it has chance to dry) following the directions on the package.
If your gutters are leaking at a seam, you can probably repair the leak using silicon caulking. Clean out the old caulking as best you can and apply new caulking to the seam. You can’t paint silicon caulking so you need to apply it on the inside of your gutter.
Make sure your ladder is safe and sturdy enough to climb and always practice ladder safety.
It’s a good idea to have a second person on the ground when you’re up a ladder to help steady the base and ensure people don’t come too close.
If you’re not comfortable climbing a ladder, don’t do it. The cost of hiring a pro to fix your gutter is well worth the price for peace of mind.