All materials expand when they are warm, and contract when they cool. Steel gutters are less reactive than aluminum ones, while PVC plastic is most affected.  Most leaks are the result of eavestrough expansion and contraction stressing their joints, as the seasons come and go.

Eavestrough Expansion, Contraction and Buckling

Runs of gutters need firm attachment to prevent them blowing loose during gales, or collapsing during torrential rains. Yet despite this they will expand on hot summer days, and contract again during winter cold. The pressure in the material has to go somewhere and may cause unsightly buckling on blazing hot summer days.

A fifty-foot-long length of PVC guttering resting on the ground in the sun may expand as much as a half-inch, compared to its length of a chilly day. The effect is greatest when it receives radiation from above and below. This is why the buckling may be worse in areas over hard paving.

Damage May Also Occur at Fixing Brackets

Eavestrough expansion and contraction also puts considerable stress on eavestrough fittings. Fixing screws can wrench out, or gutters pull loose from their brackets. This effect is greatest with PVC materials. The effect multiplies with the length of a run, and is most likely to concentrate in the middle where it may be most noticeable.

Leaks from Eavestrough Expansion and Contraction

Dripping, leaks and bursts are most likely to occur at joints, where these give way to seasonal pushing and pulling of eavestrough sections. Riveting them together may prevent them opening and closing, then buckling follows flexing them open. Gutter sealant cannot, and will not fix this permanently.

Contact Valiant Exteriors for a Practical Solution

Valiant Exteriors has a better solution that lasts longer, reduces maintenance costs, but is reasonably more expensive up front:

• First, we use aluminum gutters permanently tinted in a choice of colors. This is far less responsive than PVC to temperature changes, and cannot rust like steel.
• Then, we extrude them on site using a specialist machine. The only joints are at down pipes and ends, but we attach them firmly.
• We attach all the components together using rivets. There is no way our gutters can pull apart and start leaking!
• And finally, we use robust brackets and screws to attach the eavestroughs to roof edges. The result is simply, superior!

Call Valiant Exteriors in Calgary at (403) 829-1661 for more information, or to arrange a free inspection and quote. We are the small family owned business with the great reputation for quality and integrity in Calgary

More Information

Does Aluminum Rust Like Metal?

How Gutter Corner Joints Can Leak

Warped and Sagging Eavestrough (Blyth Hut BY CC 2.0)