Monday, May 19, 2008
Leaky Gutter Corners
Seamless Gutters are popular because they are seamless, meaning they come in one piece no matter how long the length. The advantage to this is visual as well as functional. When there are seams in a gutter they are just potential leaks waiting to happen. The only time there are seams in a seamless gutter is when it comes to corners and miters. Obviously our gutter machines cannot produce gutters that make a right angle so a box miter or strip miter is used to join the two gutters together. If a proper silicone is not used to seal the gutter originally or a spot is missed the result is a leaky gutter. You can try sealing it with a better sealant and even tarring it, but 9 out of 10 times the leak comes back. The best way to ensure that the corner is not going to leak again is to replace it totally or scrape out all the existing silicone and use sandpaper to sand the silicone off leaving only the aluminum. After sanding all the silicone, re-apply a gutter/ window silicone to the corner where the seams are as well as the manufacturers seam. The type of silicone we use is SBR-100.
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3 comments:
Hmm, when I'm repairing my gutters, I usually use high-quality plumber epoxy. It's more than enough to seal the small gaps and holes. Dow Corning 700 silicone is also good, but you'll need a silicon gun to apply it effectively. You can apply epoxy just by using a spatula.
When re-sealing gutters, whether seamless or not, it is also important that you check if there are any loose connections between the gutters. If you find any, better secure those pieces first before you apply the sealant.
{Allyson Ripple}
Great point Allyson! For more information please visit our new blog at blog.brothersgutters.com
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