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GUTTER REPAIRS

Gutters and downspouts drain the water shed by a roof away from the house. Without them, water would sit on the roof or run down the walls, cracking your paint and otherwise damaging your siding. Water can also cause window frames to swell and decay over time and undermine the your house’s foundation.

Gutters are troughs that run along your house’s eaves and slope toward downspouts. They may be made of wood, aluminum, galvanized sheet metal, copper, or vinyl. Extruded "seamless" aluminum gutters are one of the most popular professionally installed types today; these are fabricated on site. Do-it-yourselfers generally opt for vinyl systems—10-foot sections that are joined by a range of fittings—because they’re easy to put together.

Be sure your downspouts expel water well away from your house. If necessary, add downspout extenders that run horizontally and carry the water away from the house. Also consider concrete or plastic splashblocks, slightly sloped and extending away from the house at least 4 feet.

Most original guttering in houses from the Georgian period until the 1960s was in cast iron. Some was in lead.

The advantages are that:

it is strong
if kept painted it resists corrosion
it has a very long life; 100 years can be achieved
It can be refurbished. Be warned that cast iron is heavy; if you have to remove a section, scaffolding is recommended.

Typical problems are surface rust, splits and leaking joints.

To deal with minor rust and small splits, strip the paint in the area of the damage, chip off the loose rust and then use a two-part epoxy filler. Protect any bare metal with primer, rubber-based undercoat and two coats of gloss as soon as possible.

With major splits, you really have to replace the damaged component. Look for a salvaged part or contact a company making new cast iron gutters.

To solve a leaky joint, use a hacksaw to cut the bolts so you can separate the pieces. Clean the joint and re-assemble again with a sealant. Repaint as soon as possible.