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Imagine that you would have to face the challenge of a leaking gutter joint or corner in late fall, leaving you with a couple of damp patches on the wall leading to cracks and whatnot.

You did try to seal it once, but just the next rainy night it leaked again like never?

You then stubbornly repeat the procedure following all the videos and guides on the Internet you have found. According to them, you are doing the right thing, yet again after a week, your gutters are leaking harder than celebrity nude photos lately. Some people understandably prefer to try fixing the issue themselves before calling a professional gutter cleaning, maintenance & repair company like Gutters London.

But sealing rain gutters is not at all as easy as it sounds. There are some “know-how” secrets just as with painting gutters that you need to know of before trying one of those instant leak sealers you can buy online.

Eavestrough maintenance

Gutter Leak Repair Products

We are not fans of anti-marketing but if it considers guttering problems we would like to keep you particularly informed. When it comes to products promoted as “super easy one-time spray sealants” usually the solution is more of a short term. Mastic-based ones are rather a cosmetic addition than the long term fix you are looking for.

Most households nowadays prefer plastic rain gutters because of easy maintenance and endurance. But if you are unlucky enough to notice a leak over there, you might have a struggle that will grow into a nervous breakdown after trying to seal it for the 3rd time this month.

How did this happen?

The choice of a sealant of your gutters should be based on your type of gutters.

Plastic has one big drawback – it is very susceptible to expanding/contracting due to temperature changes. A gutter of this type moves a lot, especially during fall when the weather isn’t really sure itself if it wants to stay cold or be warm again.

Remember that spooky cracking noise coming from the roof that tends to give you the unpleasant discomfort of living in a rather haunted house during the night? That is your gutters cooling off and therefore shrinking back to their original size.

So if you’re planning to handle the leakage properly you need to use a seal that won’t go hard for a long time. If you do make the mistake to use such seal the next time your gutters decide to flex muscles during the day heat it will crack and leave you with another potential leakage when rain pours again.

The elasticity mastic provides would not be enough in this case.

Is There a Solution to Your Gutter’s Leaking Problems After All?

In fact, there is. The rubber-like, highly flexible substance that will withstand the breathing-like habits of your gutter system is called… Silicone.

Some friendly tips:

When choosing among the different types don’t get too picky about it. Try to avoid the pricey ones. A standard clear silicone used for bathroom work would be more than enough. You should, of course, remember a couple of simple rules to follow when applying the silicone:

• Wash, clean and dry the place you plan on sealing. The best practice is to remove the part (so long as it is a union/joint) and thoroughly clean it, proceed with water rinsing well and let it dry for as long as needed. If you have succeeded in the above you will only need to apply your sealant once.
• If you want to avoid what costly consequences might occur thanks to that huge damp patch on your wall – be generous with the silicone. A bead of filling won’t do the job here. Put as much as needed and even more – you can’t really put too much.

Silicone can be very sticky and therefore tricky. When you need to smooth out the area so you make sure you’ve applied it firmly you can simply arm yourself with some warm water and wash up liquid.

1. Dip your finger in the mixture and when it feels slippery enough don’t be afraid to use it on the substance.
2. Dip once more to remove what’s left on your finger.

After carefully implementing the aforementioned steps you can wipe off the overabundant application of the sealant with a rug or a towel and safely put back the piece in question. Do never forget to keep the gutters clean DIY or opt for professional gutter cleaning as well. The extra weight of debris could be a reason for blocked gutters and leaks. What’s left for you now is to rejoice in your non-leaking roof for the upcoming many many years.

Posted by Gena Lorainne |