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Discussion Forum

Repair Gap between Gutter and roof

rdude | Posted in Construction Techniques on March 19, 2009 03:50am

Hello,

What is the best way to prevent water from falling in between the eavestroughing of my roof and the flashing?  Currently, there is a gap when looking up from the main floor to the roof and is causing craters in the ground below

I’ve been told a few options but not sure which is better.  I was suggested to use:

1)  thermo caulking wherever the gaps are, and use screws in some places where the gaps are large to literally fill in any areas where the water falls through.

2) I would have like to use the L shaped screwed brackets (the ones they sell at Home Depot) that would hold my gutter tight to the flashing and fix any gaps that exist.  The problem right now is my roof shingles are quite brittle and old (~ 13 years old) and attempting that would actually cause them to break and crumble, when I tried last fall.

3) Drip edges to bridge the gap between the roof and the gutter.   As well, it was suggested that in order to place the drip edge underneath the shingles,  the shingles overhanging over the roof would be cut off to fit it in?  Is that sound?  Also, is there potential to leaks from underneath the shingles themselves if that overhang is removed?

4) Is there any other suggestions on how to bridge the gap between my roof and the gutter so no more water seeps in between?  It is crating craters on the ground below, especially with all the rain we had last year. 

I don’t expect to change my roof until the next 1 to 2 years and when the work is due, I plan to add the L shaped screwed brackets at that time into the eavestroughing.  That way the new shingles can over hang the gutter, and leaks would occur.

Please let me know and thanks for all your help.

Rhonda

 

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Replies

  1. DanH | Mar 19, 2009 03:55am | #1

    Do you have a fascia?

    The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
    1. rdude | Mar 28, 2009 06:29pm | #8

      Hi everyone,

      Thanks very much for all the input.

      Yes, I have Aluminum Facia.

      Ok, I will go and take a picture... though it will be from the street as that is the closest I can get to it and see it at the same time.   I'm not comfortable with heights, but I can still show you my roof and its pitch.

      The problem with the shingles being so old is, they are brittle.  In order for me to add those metal L shaped brackets (with screws) and attach to both sides of the eavestrough, I need to lift the shingles up enough to slide them in.  I tried that and almost snapped my shingles in half.  It seems, I will probably only be able to add that when I get a new roof.  

      Yes, curretly the 6" nails were used to attach the original eavestroughs to my Facia of my roof.  But I plan to add the metal L shaped brackets when I get a new roof -that seems the best time to do that.  I also was told to place those brackets closest to the nails of my eavestrough, rather than in between each nail.  Does that make sense?   Which placement is better so that no gaps occur during the life span of the new roof?

      Apparently, while I just went outside taking a picture of my roof, my neighbor informed me he had the same problem and was able to slide in the drip edge underneath his no problem.  I would have thought it would snap his shingles since his are even older than mine, but he said it was easy.  Perhaps I can just get a company to slide the drip edge in underneath the shingles , but on a warm day where they won't snap?  The picture is attached and is only 80KB in size.

      Please let me know what you think and thanks again for all the help.

      Cheers, Rhonda.

      1. runnerguy | Mar 28, 2009 06:44pm | #10

        I had that problem once and I got a 6 " wide roll of aluminum, cut it lengthwise into two 3" wide strips and wedged it up under the shingles, leaving about an inch exposed. No nailing was required. Just held in by friction pressure. Worked great for the next 17 years I lived in that house.

        Runnerguy

    2. rdude | Mar 28, 2009 06:31pm | #9

      BTW, I meant to also point out that from the picture I just sent, my home is the one on the right, behind the tree.

  2. User avater
    Sphere | Mar 19, 2009 04:05am | #2

    Often a slice of sheet metal from a coil of Alum can be riveted to the back side of the gutter, this is cut to size so that it either tucks up under the drip edge, or can be attached to the fascia.

    It should extend up to the bottom, or nearly so, of the shingles.

    It is possible if your roof is a shallow pitch, that the water is actually curling back from the shingles and running up hill...that is a surface tension issue and from where I sit, can't advise an easy fix, I have a similar issue I have been chasing.

    Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

    Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

     

    They kill Prophets, for Profits.

     

     

    1. ANDYSZ2 | Mar 21, 2009 04:19am | #3

      I just fixed a hundred plus feet of the shingle being short and I like the the right angle galvanized flashing in 10' pieces they have 3" on one side and 2" on other.

      I tucked the the three inch under the shingle and 2" into the gutter cutting around the gutter mounts leaving the flap over them.I screwed the flashing high into the gutter.

      I took a piece of aluminum step flashing and put a small notch in it so that I could locate the roofing nails under the edge shingle and marked on top then I put the flashing up and transfered my nail marks and cut a little slot for each nail.

      This only works if you are on scaffolding so that you can walk back and forth along the whole length of flashing.

      ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?

      REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST

       

  3. Piffin | Mar 21, 2009 02:23pm | #4

    Any way you could post a photo of the situation? There are so many styles of finish edges and of gutters and ways to do things wrong that I am having a hard time picturing in my mind what is going on there.

    Please try to size the picture less than 200KBs

     

     

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    1. Shoemaker1 | Mar 22, 2009 12:29am | #5

      Keep us up dated, some one asked me yesterday about the same thing. I'm going to look at it Monday.

  4. MikeSmith | Mar 22, 2009 12:33am | #6

    rhonda.... we  fix  this  all  the time... never  with   caulk

    like  paul said...  a  picture  would  sure  help  with  a  prognosis

    Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
  5. Piffin | Mar 22, 2009 04:49am | #7

    I read this again with a different brain....

    I think what you are saying about an L shaped bracket is that you looked at eave edge and yo do not have any on the roof now. If I understand everything else right, the age of the shingles has let some of them at the overhand break down so water spills behind the gutter.

    If indeed you do not have eave edge, three is little you can do without re-roofing to install the metal drip edge.

    But as a stop gap, you could just use some 4" wide metal slid under the shingles and out an inch to direct water. A dab of roofing cement or silicone caulk to hole it in place for a couple years

     

     

    Welcome to the
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