Your gutters are your first defense against water damage to your home's foundation. When they are working properly, they protect your foundation and help keep water from leaking into your basement as well. If you have sagging gutters, it's time to get to work fixing them.
We've put together this guide to help you diagnose and repair your gutters. We will also tell you how to keep your rain gutters in optimal condition.
First, you will need to figure out why your gutters are sagging in the first place. There are three causes that professionals see most:
These are generally caused by either age, lack of maintenance, or storm damage. While you can’t prevent weatherization with age or storm damage, you can prevent a lot of headaches with a little maintenance.
Continue reading to learn how to repair sagging gutters.
As Tom Silva from This Old House says,
“A clogged gutter can’t keep water from splashing on your roof or house.”
That's why it's important to keep your gutters free and clear of any debris and keeping them in good condition.
You should clean your gutters out at least once or twice a year. Pull out any leaves or other debris in your gutters and pay special attention to the parts of your gutters. If anything looks broken or rusted, change it out to keep any further damage from happening.
After cleaning out your gutters, pay special attention to where the gutter seems to be sagging most. This is the area where you'll need to do a gutter repair.
Check the hidden gutter hangers inside the gutters. These look like long metal clips with screws that fasten to the sides of the gutter. If these are bent this could be the problem causing your sagging.
Does your gutter have long spikes that go through the front of the gutter to secure it to your house? If so, check to see if the spikes have become worn and loose.
Be sure to check the gutter brackets as well if you have them. They are U-shaped metal pieces that hold your gutters in place from the bottom. Be sure they are securely attached and not bent or broken.
Now that you have an idea of the problem, we can dive into how go about your gutter repair. But first, there are some tools you will need to get.
First, you'll obviously need a ladder. You will also need some simple tools like:
You can easily find these tools at any local hardware store. Once you have all your tools, you can start to repair sagging gutters.
If your hangers are bent, replacing them is a fairly easy chore. You will need your new hangers, a drill or a screwdriver, and gutter screws. After unscrewing the screws, grab the end of the hanger closest to the back of the gutter and pull straight up.
This should easily release the old worn-out gutter hanger. Install the new one by pushing the hanger into place. Then, screw it in to secure the hanger.
If there are only a few hangers that are causing sagging, you should only have to replace those. However, if you notice any that are rusted or worn, go ahead and replace them too.
If your system has gutter spikes and you've noticed them pulling away from the fascia board, replacing them can be an easy task. If you have to replace these, many professionals say to replace them with threaded spikes to help keep them secure.
Use a hammer to pry the old spike out of place. If it has a screw head, use a screwdriver. If it's difficult to pull out, rock the hammer back and forth to help it come out.
Next, feed the new spike through the hole at the front of your gutter. Then, feed the gutter spikes through a metal ferrule. A ferrule is like a metal sleeve that keeps the spike from warping your gutters.
You'll then secure it into place on the fascia board. If there are any gaps in the holes, you'll need to fill them in with wooden shims and epoxy or a gutter sealant.
To change a bracket, you'll need to free the gutter from the bracket. Check to make sure your bracket doesn't screw into the gutter. If it does, unscrew it.
Grab the top of the bracket that clips to the top of the gutter. Pull towards you until the bracket is loose and the gutter comes free. Repeat with all the brackets in the sagging area.
Then, you'll install the new bracket and make sure they are secured.
If your gutter system is still sagging, you may have a bigger problem on your hands. The system could be leveled wrong causing water to pool up in the gutters adding on extra weight. Fasteners could also be failing at the downspout like "This Old House" shows in this video.
You could also be dealing with old and worn-out gutters, or a damaged fascia board. These damages typically require a lot of work and clean up. If you are not comfortable with doing that level of work, a contractor can help you with these types of replacements, unless you want to replace the gutters yourself.
We hope you enjoyed this guide to repairing your sagging gutters.
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