Few things last forever in his modern world, although some eavestrough contractors may pretend otherwise. Various natural forces inevitably take their toll on old gutters. And these unstoppable forces include wind, rain and snow, temperature extremes, and time itself.
Leaking Joints on Segmented Gutter Runs
We rarely take on repair jobs on old gutters at Valiant Exteriors. That’s because the joints between the seams open and close as the temperature rises and falls. We prefer to install seamless eavestrough runs instead, because resealing old joints seldom works in our experience for long.
Some Promises Old Gutters Can’t Live Up To
Every now and again a fixer-upper gutter cowboy arrives in town. They place advertisements in Calgary media promising ‘leaky gutters resealed while you wait’ or words to that effect.
Then they take their money and leave our town richer, but pity their poor customers later. Here are two false promises they make that seldom if ever last more than a season.
False Promise # 1 – Special Silicone Sealant
Silicone caulk is a wonder material. That’s because it sticks to clean, firm surfaces like aluminum, ceramics, glass, metal, wood, plastic, porcelain, granite, and more. However, it does not adhere to moist, loose, or dusty and dirty surfaces, and this is where the problem lies.
Any contractor attempting to repair a leaky gutter seam, should first scrupulously clean it, wash it down, and allow a couple of hours for the surface to dry. Unfortunately, this does not make good business sense. And so, almost inevitably they apply the silicone caulk after removing the visible debris only.
As a result the caulk cannot bond properly to the underlying eavestrough material. Water inevitably worms its way through, and within a year or two the joint starts leaking again.
False Promise # 2 – Revolutionary Rubber Seals
Rubber seals are self-adhesive strips. The theory is you apply them across gutter joints to stop leaks. However, in practice this only works if the bonding surface is scrupulously clean and dry. And in reality cowboy gutter fixer-uppers miss this essential step.
The Only True Way to Seal Leaky Gutter Joints
The only way we know to fix this problem, is to dismantle the segmented eavestrough run, clean the parts thoroughly, and reassemble them with the sealant inside the joint. That’s because the only true way to fix a leak is at the source. There are no joints on Valiant Exterior’s seamless gutters. It’s as simple as that. Why create joints that inevitably leak, when there is no need to have them at all?
More Information About Gutters
Problems With Built-In Box Gutters