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How to repair and maintain gutters?

Hello experts,

I've got a couple of questions:

1. holes and rust in the gutters - What's the best way to repair it without replacing the whole thing?

2. The water tends to build up at the corner instead of going to the downpipe, which leads me to think it is the cause of the rusting overtime. Is there something I can do myself to prevent water sitting at the corner in the future?

Thank you!

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Comments

JacobZ

Hi @sky31,

When dealing with holes and rust in your gutters, the good news is that you don’t necessarily need to replace the entire system. Small holes or areas with surface rust can be effectively repaired with a few simple steps. First, clean the affected area thoroughly. This means removing any debris, dirt, or peeling paint, and then using a wire brush or sandpaper to remove as much rust as possible.

Once clean, allow the area to dry completely before applying a rust converter to stop any remaining corrosion from spreading. After treating the rust, seal the hole from the inside of the gutter with a roof and gutter silicone.

As for water building up in the corner of the gutter rather than flowing toward the downpipe, this can indeed contribute to long-term rust and damage. The most likely cause is an improper slope in the gutter, which can be corrected, but it may require you to remove the gutter, relocate the gutter brackets and then reinstall the gutter, which isn't exactly a simple task. Gutters should have a slight decline—about 2 to 3 millimetres per metre—leading toward the downpipe. You can check this using a level or by running water through the gutter with a hose. If you find that the pitch is incorrect, you'd have to adjust the brackets that hold the gutter to create the correct slope.

Unfortunately, unless you were very confident in your ability to remove and adjust the gutter, I think you would have to speak with a roofing plumber for their assistance.

Allow me to tag @AlanM52, @Dave-1 and @Nailbag to see what they think.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

Noyade

Morning @sky31

For small areas - I'm a big fan of bitumen backed aluminum tape.

This was a soldered and leaking corner. I had no luck with silicone.

It's now been 6 leak free years with the tape.

31 years on corrugated iron.

Cheers!

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/54619#Comment_54619

Good afternoon @sky31

I have had leaky gutters, which I tried to repair to late 🙂 I should have looked after them when they were at the stage you have. In the end you could see the stars through my gutters and I ended up changing all my gutters (half my place is single story, the other hal is double height) So I was comfortable on the high side to work. Figured it was wiser to fget professionals to fix it and then I maintain it.

@JacobZ instructions are spot on. So are @Noyade 's. When you find products that work its gold 🙂 I used a large rubber styled tape, and just had a look and I cant find it anymore 🙂 I stilll think my issue was too far gone so not blaming the product.

If you are comfortable working at heights, Have someone hold your ladder properly (They stand on the ladder side, feet {toes} against the feet of the ladder while their arms are at just below shoulder height holding the ladder in both hands.) while you do the maintenance.

Dave

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