How to Fix Home Gutters on Your Own
Cracks and holes in your home's rain gutters can potentially lead to structural damage. To avoid this you will want to make sure that you regularly check your gutters to ensure that they are in good condition. If your gutter is in need of repair, you'll want to fix it as quickly as possible before it causes any structural damage and ends up costing more in the long run.
Make sure you have the following tools on hand when you begin to repair your gutters:
- Wire cutters
- Roof cement
- Wire screening scraps
- Sheet metal
- Sheet metal cutters
- Trowel
- Pliers
- Wire brush
- Mineral spirits
- Electric drill
- Pop rivets
- Pop rivet tool
If you find a small hole that has not rusted through completely:
- Use a wire brush to remove any dirt and loose rust.
- Use mineral spirits and a rag to wipe the area clean and then dry it.
- Spread roof cement over the area that is damaged. You do not need to use a screening patch if the hole is not the whole way through the gutter.
If you find a small open hole:
- Follow steps 1 and 2 from above.
- Cut out a piece of wire screening that is an inch bigger around than the hole.
- Spread roof cement around the hole using a trowel.
- Push the wire screening into the hole and spread a thin layer of cement over it.
- Once it is dry, if there are still holes open in the screening, spread another layer of roof cement over it.
If you find a large open hole:
- Follow steps 1 and 2 from above.
- Cut a piece of sheet metal that is large enough to cover the inside and wrap around the edges of the gutter. The sheet metal should extend at least one inch past the damage inside the gutter.
- Bend the sheet metal so it is the same shape as the gutter.
- Coat the entire area where the patch will go and then press it down into the cement, covering the hole.
- Use pliers to bend the edges of the patch over the sides of the gutter.
- Coat the entire patch with roof cement, making sure that the edges are completely covered.
Sagging or loose gutters:
- Hold the section that is loose in the proper place and drill a hole using a bit that is the same size as the pop rivets.
- Drill through overlapping sections, making a hole on each exposed side.
- Place a pop rivet into the pop rivet tool and insert the tip of the tool into the hole you made with the drill. Squeeze the handles until the rivet pops off.