There are several important components to your home’s roof system. They all serve one main purpose: protecting your home from the elements. Gutters are a crucial part of this process. Your home’s gutters divert water away from the foundation of your home, thus protecting your foundation’s integrity and keeping your basement from getting wet or, worse, flooded. 

You should make it a twice-yearly routine to inspect your gutters. In particular, you will be looking to make certain they are free from debris and there are no leaks. Sounds easy right? If you are comfortable doing some repairs on your own, here are a few tips on how to repair gutters in Hampton MD. 

Leaking Corners

Is water leaking out of a gutter corner? You are dealing with a joint connection that has begun to fail. This connection may be at the corner itself or where the downspout connects with the gutter. Once you have isolated where the leak is occurring, do the following: 

1. Clean the corner. Using an all-purpose cleaner, scrub with a wire brush, rinse with water, and dry.  
2. Caulk the joints using silicone caulk to fill in the area between the gutter and downspout. Press the joint together as tightly as you can. Remove any excess caulk and apply a final bead around the edges. 

Tackle this repair on a warm day as silicon caulk adheres best to dry, warm metal. 

Holes in a Gutter

As gutters age, they may develop pinholes. These can occur from either rust that forms with age or puncture from an object. Once you find pinholes, here are your next steps. 

1. Clean the area around the hole. Use the same process listed above. Make sure the area is completely dry.
2. Cut a patch out of metal flashing larger than the hole you are fixing. 
3. Apply roofing cement around the hole. 
4. Press the metal patch into the cement, then cover the entire patch with roofing cement. 

Re-Seal Joints

The areas you will want to focus on are joints. If you have seamless gutters, this will be limited to corners and end caps. On sectional gutters, you will check at every connection joint between sections. At each seam, do the following: 

1. Separate the seam. This will require removing any screws and any remaining caulk. 
2. Clean the seams making certain to clear away all the old caulk.  
3. Repaint the area with rust-resistant paint that matches your gutter. 
4. After the paint is dry, apply a thin line of caulk to the inner lip of the joint, and press the sections together. 
5. Replace any screws as needed. 

These scenarios sound easy, but what happens if you do find an issue or this entire process is not your cup of tea? You can always call a professional roofing company like Bealing Roofing & Exteriors, Inc. We know how to get your leaking gutters back in order and do their job correctly.