It’s a sight that no homeowner wants to see: you go out in the morning to start your car, look back at your house, and a portion of your gutters has fallen from your home. Aside from being an eyesore, this fallen gutter can cause serious issues with water and ice collecting around your house. To make sure that you never find yourself in this situation, we’ve pointed out a few causes of dangling gutters so you know what to avoid. And if it’s too late, you also have a starting point for fixing the issue.
CAUSES
Missing screws, loosened screws
Even if your gutters are perfect when installed, the wear and tear of the seasons can cause them to gradually loosen. With enough neglect, the screws will come out completely and the gutter will sag as a result.
Clog
When your gutters are clogged from too many leaves or other debris, they become weighed down from those materials along with the water that is blocked from flowing through the downspouts. That puts a lot of stress on the gutters, which can drag them down and pull screws and nails out. Too much stress will send your gutters flying downward and hanging sideways.
Leveled out
This is likely the problem that you think about the least, but if your gutters are completely level, then their flow will be halted. This presents a risk of water growing stagnant and weighing down the gutters. In this case, you will run into the same stress issues that are mentioned above.
Each of these issues can be prevented by regularly monitoring your gutters’ tightness and water flow. It is always better to address a small problem immediately, before it becomes a big problem over time.
HOW TO FIX A HANGING GUTTER
If anything has left a piece of your gutter pointing towards the ground, then you must clean it off and re-attach it. It should be done sooner rather than later, so that water and ice don’t become a major issue around your house. It’s important to drill a new hole for the gutter screws rather than use the previous hole which has widened over time.
WHEN TO FIX
We’re not going to tell you that you can’t repair gutters in the middle of winter. Only you can make that call. But consider that not only will you personally experience the cold but your gutters and house have experienced it all winter, and as a result will be hard to work on with a drill or hammer. We hope that you never find yourself in a fallen-gutter situation, but if you do, you should be well equipped with tips and information to get through the re-installation. Whatever you do, please be careful when climbing ladders and remember that it’s always best to bring in a professional gutter contractor to do any adjustments or repairs to your gutters. Check back with our articles periodically for more home improvement resources & information!
