The photo above is from a gutter on my own house and this signals its time to work on the gutters. The maintenance will include cleaning the gutters, re-sealing the joints, repairing areas where drip edge does not cover the back of the gutter and installing gutter guards in a few problem areas.
Gutters do an important job of controlling the water flow away from the foundation. They work hard and can give years of service with little maintenance. However, as years add on, your gutters may leak from cracks in the old sealant. Sealing is accomplished with a gutter caulking. Please refer to the link below for an article on choosing the right sealant. Please note the February Maintenance Tip: DO NOT use silicone based sealants on the exterior of the house or in the gutters.
If you have a roof replaced, as I have recently, the drip rail that is installed around the edge of the roof line is often replaced. The back of the gutters need to be covered by this drip rail in order to collect the water off the roof. Often the roofer will order a basic size drip rail and upon replacing the old, the top of the gutters become exposed (example photo below). If this problem has occurred, you will need to install an additional piece of flashing to make the repair.
It should go with out saying, that you should clean your gutters twice a year especially if you have large trees. If you have gutter guards, you should be sure to inspect them twice a year to ensure they are functioning correctly. Gutter guards may keep leaves out of the gutter, but they do not keep ceramics from the shingles and muck from collecting. Every house can benefit from washing out the gutters to provide good water flow at all times. While gutter guards are typically used to mitigate leaves, I plan to install gutter guards for a different reason. The gutter downspouts near my front door were "fouled" by two bird nests. The result was for the gutters to overflow on the foundation and flooded the basement.
"Avoid silicone based sealants for the gutters or exterior of the house. Once dry, silicone based products cannot be painted or re-sealed!"
This photo shows what can happen when a new roof and drip edge is installed. The drip edge should extend over the back side of the gutter. Typically, a roofer will order a standard size of drip edge (usually the cheapest and shortest) and the result is the picture you see. This can also happen when installing new gutters. The problem with this picture is rain water can drip down the backside of the gutter and rot out the fascia board and eaves. This moisture can also dump on the foundation and over time cause foundation issues. Two examples of the repair are shown in the picture below.
The above photo illustrates two ways to repair the gap between the drip edge and the back of the gutter. I have also included a link to an excellent article on this repair.
I would add that you should hold on to the horizontal rungs and not the side rails (as the person is showing at the top of the ladder). Your hand has a stronger grip on the rung then on the side rail.
7 years of home inspections in 2022
Hank Darnell Home Inspections is in its 7th year! I want to give a big thanks to all of my customers as you make it possible for me to do the work I love! I also depend on your recommendations and referrals for my business to grow. Please be sure to tell your friends and family about our services. I do provide a 10% discount off the whole house inspection for K-12 teachers, first responders and active or retired military.
Hank Darnell Home Inspections, LLC is here to serve your home inspection needs. I am an InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector, Kansas Radon/Termite Inspector, and have a Bachelor of Science in Business/Marketing/Management from Baker University. I have over 25 years of experience in construction including plumbing, electrical, framing, foundations and roofing. My background in business, marketing, management, construction and home inspections gives me the unique perspective and skill sets to not only understand how important being thoroughly informed about a real estate purchase is, but the ability to provide this information in a concise easy to understand way. Reports include 50 to 100 color photographs and are provided within 24-hours of inspection. Flexible schedule with weekend appointments available.
