Water Dripping Gutter

With that in mind let s take a look at the five most common causes of leaky gutters.

Water dripping gutter.

Usually this is due to gutter fasteners rusting. Home centers sell a gutter apron in 10 ft. A gutter apron is a bent piece of flashing that tucks up under the shingles and over the gutter. For example most ranch style homes have a 3 12 or 4 12 pitch roof.

The drip edge is a component installed along the eaves of your roof that helps to direct water flow and project it outward ideally into your gutters where it will be safely carried away. If the drip edge is installed incorrectly or takes on some damage from time or weather it can often result in water just not quite making it to the gutters. Capillary action is a water activity in which water adheres to a surface and follow the surface. When the roof shingles do not extend past the metal drip edge the water will suck back on the metal drip edge this is called capillary action and run behind your gutters.

Therefore when the water goes over the edge of your roof it will stay attracted to the surface of the drip edge and run behind the gutter. The gutter apron prevents water from ever reaching the soffit by leading water straight into the gutters. Over time rain gutters often start to pull away from the roof allowing water to drip over the gutter sides or between the gutters and the walls. For gutters to work properly they must be properly sloped toward the downspouts and the roof must have a drip edge that clears the sides of the gutters closest to the house.

If water is dripping behind your gutter it s probably because it was installed without any flashing over the back of the gutter. When water starts leaking from the gutter you know you ve got your work cut out for you. Drip strip is designed to fill the gap between the bottom of the drip edge and the top of the gutter to insure the water will flow into the gutter preventing any damage to your fascia or other parts of your. The gutter apron will prevent the dripping.

The question of why are my gutters dripping is a common one and one that we re asked daily. Gutters after all protect your home against moisture directing water away from your home s windows siding foundation and other areas of your home you d prefer to keep dry you can t just sit idly by and allow a leaky gutter to wreak havoc to your home. When water drips between the fascia and the gutters the problem could be a compromised drip edge but it s also possible the gutters are overflowing.