Walpole Gutter Repair Service | Residential Gutter Cleaning & Repair

Without occasional maintenance, everything in your home will deteriorate and require repairs at some point. Though your gutters will reach the end of their lifespan at some point, many homeowners in the Walpole area find their gutters breaking down and requiring repair or replacement earlier than they should. The number one cause of damaged troughs comes down to allowing them to clog.

Over a mere few months, your rain gutters will become clogged with leaves, pine needles, twigs and other debris. This takes place during both heavy rains and windy days. If you have a tree with branches that extend above your roof, it can even happen on a perfectly calm day.

When the debris is small enough, flowing water can easily carry it through your troughs and into your downspout. However, very minimal rainfalls that do not produce much water flow don’t have the power to carry the debris. The longer wet debris sits in your troughs, the stickier it gets, and the more likely it is to prevent other debris from flowing through your drainage system. At a certain point, one of two things will happen:

• Your clogged gutter will sag.With enough weight, the fasteners that hold your trough against your fascia boards will loosen and pull away from your roof’s edge, leaving a gap between your roof and the trough.
• Rainwater will overflow.Clogs essentially act as a dam. During heavy rainfall, water may fill up to the top of the trough and spill over its edges.

In both of the above scenarios, the risk of water damage is high. Your fascia boards and siding can rot if made out of wood, and once your fascia boards are compromised, your attic will be susceptible to water damage as well. Water that pools on the ground below can put your foundation at risk and even result in basement flooding. Repairing water damage to this extent may cost you thousands of dollars.

Other factors that necessitate a need for gutter repair in Walpole MA would likely involve the following:

• Style of gutters. Sectional gutters, made up of multiple gutter sections, tend to be susceptible to leaking within their joints. Seamless gutters only have joints between corner pieces, reducing the number of possible points of failure.
• Type of gutters.Vinyl and aluminum gutters are popular choices due to their low upfront cost, but they tend to develop cracks and holes more easily than other materials.
• Improper installation.If your system wasn’t installed properly, it may be more likely to pull away from your roof, leak and clog.

Rain gutter repairs are one of our most frequently requested services. Our highly-rated local pros can successfully complete a wide range of gutter repairs for Walpole, MA homes. The approach that they take will depend on the type of damage, but they’ll come equipped with tools for all kinds of jobs. Some of the specialized tools and equipment that your handyman may use include:

• Roofing cement
• Caulk
• Brackets
• Abrasive brush
• Putty knife
• Gutter scoop
• Work gloves
• Tin or aviation snips
• Hammer
• Gutter screws
• Gutter sealant
• Flashing material
• Ladder
• Power drill
• Level

On the day of your appointment, your handyman will arrive in a company truck filled with all the supplies and tools required. Next, your handyman will inspect your troughs and offer a couple of suggestions for the plan of action, taking time to explain the costs and benefits of each. The repair method will be your choice, and once you give the go-ahead, your handyman will get to work.

The first step to any Walpole gutter repair is to clean out the area that needs repair. If it’s full of debris, your service technician will scoop out the clog and rinse away any remaining debris with your garden hose. Then, they’ll clean more thoroughly around the area that needs the repair using a cleaning product and a cloth. For repairs requiring the use of caulk or roofing cement, they’ll also use an abrasive brush to scratch up the surface and allow the sealant to adhere.

For some types of Walpole gutter repairs, there isn’t a single ‘tried and true’ method that all handymen use. Your handyman will use the method that he believes will be the most effective for your problem. That being said, you may see your handyman take one or more of the following approaches:

• Holes, cracks and leaky seams. Over time, the sealant used on your trough's joints will break down. Reapplying a sealant is often all that is needed to repair this. Holes and cracks are generally repaired by using tin snips to cut a piece of flashing out and using this as a patch.
• Incorrect slope. If water is collecting in your troughs and doesn’t have enough momentum to flow towards the downspout, they’ll need to be repositioned. Your troughs will likely be removed, and the structural integrity of your fascia boards assessed. If they’re rotting, they’ll need to be replaced. Once replaced, troughs will be positioned at the correct slope and attached using brackets.

Once the repair is complete, your service technician will clean up after themselves thoroughly. They’ll touch base with you to explain and show you the results and provide you with the opportunity to ask any remaining questions you may have.

Prevent Needing Walpole Gutter Repair Again

As much as we love our customers, we want to provide you with a Walpole gutter repair service that lasts. The responsibility falls on you to take the time to maintain your gutters and keep them in the best shape possible. There are two ways you can do this: with regular gutter cleaning and gutter guards.

For most homeowners, troughs and downspouts should be cleaned semi-annually—once in the spring and again in the fall. As tedious as this job is, skipping it is an imprudent decision. If you’re not comfortable on a ladder or would rather spend your time doing something else, you can hire us for gutter cleaning as well!

Installing gutter guards or covers won’t entirely prevent the need for cleaning, but they can prevent clogs and make the cleaning job easier. There are several different types of gutter guards, including:

• Foam and brush guards
• Screen and micro-mesh guards
• Reverse curve guards

All of these are great options and are available at different price points that fit any budget.