Clearing Gutters Pays Off : Drainage: Benefits of a properly working system include directing rainwater away from base of structure and protection of the wood trim.

Rain gutters are one of the best investments a homeowner can make to protect the property. Not only do they prevent excess settling near the foundation by directing rainwater away from the base of the structure, but they also help preserve the wood trim around the home by keeping roof water from running down the home’s vertical surfaces.

And they help keep the exterior of the house clean by keeping roof drainage from splashing onto the side of the building.

But as with most good things in life, rain gutters do have a downside; namely, they require basic maintenance and period repairs to function properly. Here are some simple tips for keeping your rain gutters in top shape.

Any rain gutter system is subject to clogging, and metal gutters are subject to corrosion if leaves and debris are not removed periodically.

Gutters and downspouts should be checked and cleaned twice annually, and more often during the rainy season if there are tall trees near the house. Use a small gardening shovel to clean the gutters and insert a garden hose into gutter drain holes and run the water full force to clear downspout clogs.

A very good way to keep debris out of the downspouts is to install screens over the gutter drain holes to act as a strainer.

The best way to do this is to cut a 1-by-1-foot square of quarter-inch galvanized hardware cloth (available from most lumber yards) and roll the material to form a cylinder about 3 inches in diameter. Then simply insert the rolled material into the drain hole so that it sticks up about 6 inches.

The natural springiness of the hardware cloth will keep it in place without glue or fasteners, and the whole job can normally be done in less than half an hour.

With the screens in place, any leaves that fall into the gutters will be caught before they enter the vertical downspouts and can be easily removed.

I do not recommend screens over the gutters themselves as I find that they are not cost-effective. A large quantity of debris still finds its way into the system and the screen tends to dislodge easily in high winds.

Because of shifting and settling of all wood-frame houses and expansion and contraction of the fascia boards and fasteners that hold the gutters in place, sometimes the gutters become inadequately sloped to drain properly. Improperly sloped gutters allow water to puddle away from the drain holes, resulting in spillage of rainwater and accelerated corrosion of the sheet metal.

To check for proper slope, either inspect the gutters immediately after a rainfall to assure that no standing water remains, or run a hose in the gutters away from the drain holes so you can observe the flow.

If you have areas of puddling, the gutter slope must be corrected. Very often this is simply a matter of pushing up hard under the low point of the gutters to bend the retaining spikes into a slightly higher position and then pushing down on the drain hole area to lower it a bit.

If this does not work, you will need to “rehang” the ill-sloped sections. Note that the gutters are held in place by long spikes placed every 3 to 6 feet. To rehang the gutter, remove the spikes with a pair of pliers at the point of the system farthest from the drain and shift the gutter up as high as possible under the roof edge. Re-anchor the spikes through the gutter by hammering them into the fascia board.

Continue removing and re-anchoring spikes along the length of the gutter toward the drain so that the gutter is straight and sloped to drop about 1 inch for every 8 feet of length.

Install splash blocks at downspout outlets. As one of the most important functions of rain gutters is to prevent excess settling of the house by diverting water from the foundation, it is imperative that a “splash block” be placed under each downspout outlet.

A splash block is a ready-made rectangular concrete slab (available from building supply stores) about a foot across and 2 feet long that fits under the downspout. Rainwater flowing out of the pipe hits the block and is diverted from the foundation. Also, soil erosion under the downspout is prevented.

Gutter and downspout leaks usually develop at joints where two sections come together. The easiest way to repair this type of leak is to first allow the leaking section to dry completely, then clean any dust or debris from the leak area with a scraper or wire brush so that only a bare surface is showing.

Once the affected areas are clean and dry, use a caulking gun to apply a quarter-inch coating of silicone sealant (available in clear and colored from most paint and hardware stores) over the entire joint. Use a putty knife to smooth it down and overlap the joint at least one inch on either side. Allow the material to dry several hours before testing the repair with water.

To repair holes of less than three-eighth of an inch in width away from a joint, use the same method above but make sure the overlap is at least 2 inches.

For gutter holes greater than three-eighth of an inch, again follow the same cleaning procedure but reinforce the repair with a sheet metal patch. First, apply a layer of silicone sealant over the damaged area, overlapping two inches on either side. Then cut a piece of galvanized light sheet metal to fit the entire “siliconed” area and press it into place inside the gutter. Finally, cover the edges of the sheet metal with silicone sealant to form a water-tight seal.

Lastly, a word about selecting new gutters. There are three materials to choose from: vinyl, galvanized sheet metal and seamless aluminum. Of the three, my preference is the seamless aluminum type. The vinyl gutters, while providing corrosion-free operation, look clumsy without neatly contoured edges and with exposed mounting brackets. Also, they cannot be painted.

Galvanized sheet metal gutters have nice contours and are hung with spikes and sleeves that are not seen, but require re-painting periodically. Seamless aluminum gutters have the same attractive contours of the sheet metal gutters and are also hung with invisible fasteners but do not require paint. They are manufactured with a baked-on finish in a variety of colors that is virtually maintenance free.

Place ready-made splash blocks under each downspout to divert rainwater from foundation. To make drain hole screens, cut 1/4 inch hardware cloth into one foot square. Roll into three-inch diameter cyliner. Insert the rolled material into the gutter drain hole. Allow six inches of material to stick up above the gutter base.