Best Way To Repair Leaking Gutters

Do not apply silicone on top of silicone or on top of the old gutter sealant.

Best way to repair leaking gutters.

Allow the insides of the gutters to dry out and brush leaking seams clean. If the holes are larger than nail holes use tin snips to cut a strip of flashing the same amterial as the gutter wide enough to fill the area. Butyl rubber caulks marketed by dap as their butyl flex line is an excellent choice for repairing leaky gutters. Use a little water to spread it out nicely.

Be liberal when applying the sealant directly onto the seam that leaks. Prepare the gutter by scraping out as much old tar or caulk as possible. For heavier debris such as twigs or large leaves you can simply sweep them into a bucket until there s nothing left. Run water into the gutter at the top of the.

Bend the strip to fit and embed the flashing in the cement. Apply plastic roofing cement over small holes. Water will eventually find its way under both layers of silicone and back to the original leak location. Remember this is the inside of a gutter no one looks here.

Use your fingers and get the sealant right into the seam and up both inside walls of the gutter. See pic for reference. Better to get it right than to have it leak again. Patch small holes with roofing cement.

Feather the roofing cement out on the surrounding area to flatten any steep edges. It s better to fix problems right away rather than wait until you find your gutters leaking. This negatively impacts the way your gutters drain water resulting in water leaks. Here s two ways to not repair a leaky gutter and one solid way to do the job correctly so that it holds for years not weeks.

The butyl flex caulk applies well in cold and hot temperatures. One standard way of clearing the debris from your gutters is to flush them out with a water hose. Use a putty knife to spread the cement generously around the hole. Apply silicone or special gutter caulking compound along the seams on the inside and outside to seal the leaks as shown above.

If your gutter is still basically sound the easiest way to stop the leak is by covering the damaged area with roof and gutter repair tape available at home centers and hardware stores.