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Repair Metal Gutters
A few problem areas don't mean you need a whole new system

Level of difficulty: Beginner

Rain can bring life to your lawn and garden, but it can be murder on your house. Gutters take the brunt of the storms and so they need to be taken care of. If they aren’t, they can cause extensive damage to the outside and inside of your house. Clogged, dented or torn gutters can create pools of water which then leak into your basement.

There are many products that have been developed as preventive measures against clogs. One is a mesh gutter guard which covers the gutter so leaves can’t get into it. To prevent things from going down the downspout, there are downspout strainers. These items help prevent future problems, but there are some problems that you need to take care of now.

Some minor problems, such as holes and cracks, can be fixed by filling them with gutter caulk or by using a gutter patching kit. (These are applied to the inside of the gutter.) For more serious problems in which you’ll need to patch a tear or replace a section of gutter you need to do a little more work. We explain all that below. However, if you have extensive damage, you need to start over and install new gutters.

Caution:
Use an adjustable ladder stabilizer that attaches to your ladder and braces on the roof. This helps keep the ladder from slipping and it also allows you to work on the gutters that are directly in front of you. It is important to brace the feet of the ladder. Put the ladder feet on blocks (to make them level) and then drive stakes into the ground so that they are right behind the ladder feet.

Patch a Tear in a Metal Gutter

Tools and Materials Extension ladder (one that reaches 3-feet above the edge of your roof to provide stability) Ladder stabilizer 2 stakes and wooden pieces (act as brace for ladder) Wire brush Abrasive pad Putty knife (small) Roof cement Metal flashing (made of same metal as gutter and big enough to cover bottom and side of gutter)

Step 1. Clean Area

Use the ladder with the ladder stabilizer to reach the gutters. Make sure you brace the feet of the ladder. Clean the damaged area with a wire brush. Go over it with an abrasive pad. Wash the dust and residue away. Let dry.

Step 2. Apply Roof Cement

Cover the damaged area, plus a few inches outside, with roof cement using the putty knife. You want the cement to be about 1/8-inch thick.

Step 3. Fix Patch with Roof Cement

Bend the flashing to fit the inside contours of the gutter. You want it to cover the damaged area and one side. Press the patch into the cement. With a little bit of roof cement, go over the edges of the patch. You want to feather the edges of the cement so that you don’t cause a dam to form. Feathering is done by using more pressure at the edges of the cement, thereby making it thinner.

Replacing Section of Gutter

Tools and Materials: Extension ladder (one that reaches 3 feet above the edge of your roof to provide stability) Ladder stabilizer 2 stakes and wooden pieces (act as brace for ladder) Wood spacer that is as wide as your gutter Screwdriver or pry bar (depends on what kind of gutter hangers you have) Little spacers (to put behind gutter when you are cutting) Hacksaw Gutter (same material and shape as the old one) Wire brush Gutter caulk Screwdriver (may want to use an electric one) 6 sheet metal screws

Step 1. Remove Gutter Hangers

Use the ladder with the ladder stabilizer to reach the gutters. Make sure you brace the feet of the ladder. Take off any gutter hangers that are in or around the damaged area using the screwdriver or pry bar (depends on what kind of gutter hangers you have). Put the wood spacer in between the gutter to protect it. Now when you put pressure on the gutter, you won’t distort it.

Step 2. Cut Damaged Area Out

Slip the little spacers between the gutter and the wall. (This protects the roof and wall when you are cutting the gutter.) Cut out the damaged section of gutter using the hacksaw.

Step 3. Make Gutter Section

Cut the new gutter section so that it is 4 inches longer than the damaged area that you cut out. Turn the gutter upside down and cut, making sure you have a solid base to work from.

Step 4. Position Gutter Section

Use a wire brush and scrub the inside edges of the old gutter. Caulk the ends of the old gutter from the inside, about 2 inches worth on sides and bottom of gutter at each end. Then place the new piece into the old gutter. The new piece should be centered so that the caulk is covered on both ends. Press the new section into the caulk.

Step 5. Rehang Gutters

Screw or rivet the new pieces together using 3 on each side. Caulk over the screws that are exposed on the inside of the gutter. Reattach the gutter hangers.