I have discovered significant leaks coming into my garage during heavy rain. When i went onto the roof to clear the gutter, i discovered it was significantly rusted, which i presume is where the water is coming from. As you can see in the photo, the gutter is actually part of the garage. Can you suggest ways to repair this? Thank you!
Hi @Slider_D,
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.
Is it possible to get some photos looking up at the gutters from the ground? This will help us to better understand the layout and type of gutter that your shed uses.
The rust is likely part of the issue and there's a good chance there are some holes in the metal stemming from this rust. Unfortunately, what this means is, that long-term, the only perfect solution, is to have the gutters replaced, which would almost certainly require the assistance of a roofing plumber considering they are an inbuilt gutter.
Shorter term, if you could safely identify the location of the holes in your gutters, then you may be able to patch them with things like roof and gutter silicone or butyl tape, but this is not a long-term solution and should only be considered a stop gap until you can have them assessed and fixed by a roofing plumber.
Allow me to tag our knowledgeable members @JDE, @TedBear and @Noyade to see if they have any thoughts or advice to offer.
Jacob
Hi Jacob,
This is infact ontop of my double car garage. The side where the inbuilt gutter is, actually faces onto the next door neighbours, so its not possible to look up at it from the ground. Yes there were definitely some holes / large cracks in the metal (aluminium?) , which you can sort of see in the second photo. I will start looking into those short term solutions.
That's fair enough.
Just make sure you are very careful working near that edge. Don't take any risks that aren't worth taking.
If you can locate any holes in the gutter, make sure you tidy up the rust using a wire brush, then wipe it down with some mineral turpentine and allow it to dry before applying the silicone or butyl tape. While these can only be considered temporary measures, this will still help them to adhere and last for as long as possible.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Thank you so much for your help. Would you recommend using reinforcing bandage (https://www.bunnings.com.au/crommelin-100mm-x-50m-reinforcing-fabric_p1070268) with a roofing sealant for a more long term solution?
Also, do you know if taking the Butyl tape off once it is applied is difficult? If i apply it for a temporary solution, is it easy to take off later on to do something longer term?
Reinforcing fabric is usually used with waterproofing membranes. There's not a lot of point using reinforcing fabric with silicone, and the butyl tape is much the same thing anyway, so there'd be no real need for it.
Butyl tape is strong stuff, and you would struggle to remove it. Considering the long-term solution is almost certainly to replace the gutter, I can't see it really being an issue because you would have to remove and replace the existing gutter alongside the butyl tape.
In my opinion, short term, butyl tape is the way to go and long-term replacing the gutter is the way to go.
I'm rather partial to the bitumen backed aluminium strips - but it looks like the products Jacob mentions above may be better.
The gutter needs to be dry and cleaned.
Preferably do it on a hot day where the gutters warmth will allow you to mold and punch the bitumen into the holes.
Worked well for me so far - but the better solution of course is to replace the gutter.
Should add, there is also bitumen paint and putty products also available.
Cheers and good luck!
