Guttering dripping like hell… what do I need ?

[blackscooby]

Pistonheaders,

I need your help.
My gutter is dripping like heck from 2 locations. Before I head off to Screwfix or similar what do I need (apart from a chap that can !!) ??

I know it's Floplast (or at least I think it is)

Drip 1



Drip 2



It's bloody high up so I can't actually get up there an take a look.

Thanks

[Lotobear]

It's usually the neoprene gaskets. Most of the time breaking the joint, removing and cleaning them of grit and then refitting with some lube is sufficient to fix it.

[Douglas Quaid]

Don’t go to screwfix. You need a building plastic merchant. The rubber seals have gone but all it takes is to buy a new union and take the seals from that and swap the existing knackered ones. It will only cost a couple of quid for the unions but it’s a fiddly job off a ladder.

Don’t lean the ladder against the guttering, it will make it much harder to take the seals out.

Good luck, try not to fall and die.

[Glassman]

I had a similar issue until recently. Found that the overlap had moved, plus was full of grit and crud from the garage roof.

All mine needed was clearing out of what was blocking it and making sure the overlap was overlapping enough and downhill to the fall.

Some gutter clearing firms will fix such leaks so might be worth contacting a couple of local firms.

[Lotobear]

Glassman said:

I had a similar issue until recently. Found that the overlap had moved, plus was full of grit and crud from the garage roof.

All mine needed was clearing out of what was blocking it and making sure the overlap was overlapping enough and downhill to the fall.

Some gutter clearing firms will fix such leaks so might be worth contacting a couple of local firms.

This - the gutters expand and contract due to heat cycles causing grit to drop into the seal between the gasket and gutter section then the ratchet effect does the rest and the seal gets displaced. Simple fix if you're okay at heights.

[wolfracesonic]

Could be what Loto says, try that first. If that doesn’t do it the existing rubbers may have lost their ’rubberriness’, so replace them, you buy them individually but they can be difficult to source so buy a new union and use the rubbers from that. Worse case, plastic guttering shrinks and expands considerably with temperature, sometimes to the extent it can ‘shuffle’ off the rubbers at one end: in that case you need to undo all the clips and re-position it so it’s sat on both rubbers equally. Worse, worse case, the guttering was cut too short when installed, it has contracted with the cold and no longer sits on the rubber, new length of gutter required. If you have snow where you are, leave the ladder work: a leaky gutter joint will wait.

[addey]

I helped my neighbour replace the small joining bracket section (union?) on the gutter that runs along the front of our houses (downpipe at either end). It had been dripping for ages and sure enough the rubber gaskets were pretty much none existent on the old bracket when removed.

Firstly the new union was very awkward to fit at the top of a ladder due to how tight the clips are! Trying to get enough leverage to force the clip to seat whilst avoiding falling off was not easy, and we actually ended up trimming a couple of mm off the gutter which made it much easier.

Unfortunately, it hasn't actually stopped the dripping

I suspect the issue is that it is a low point of the guttering so the water is collecting and still leaking. So it looks like the ladder will be out again this weekend. Anyway, before you start replacing union brackets maybe check if your gutter is wonky and it is a low point collecting water.

[JimM169]

Had a similar issue and as others said it was the seals on the joint. Just replaced the joint piece on mine rather than trying to clean or replace the seals. I'd never done any guttering work before and was surprised how difficult they were to unclip, ended up using a heat gun to soften the plastic slightly to make it a bit more flexible!

[blackscooby]

Much appreciate all the responses.
I'll order a load of the rubber seals. My window cleaners are very accommodating and will probably replace them for a small fee. I say window cleaners, they also clean gutters, clean roofs... etc. You name if, if it requires a ladder at terrifying heights they'll do it.

Mrs BS bans me from high ladders, it's not that I'm a clumsy ooof or anything.. much.

[NDA]

As Jim mentions above, they can be very difficult and fiddly to change. Some joints are a breeze, some (typically the hard to reach ones) can be a pain.

If you can get your man to do it, it's most definitely the answer! I am not a fan of being up fully extended ladders trying to fix guttering that's above my head.

[blackscooby]

NDA said:

If you can get your man to do it, it's most definitely the answer! I am not a fan of being up fully extended ladders trying to fix guttering that's above my head.

Exactly this, our chaps are well versed at walking across roofs, straddling ridge tiles on our neighbouring 3 story town houses without a whiff of terror whilst we look on in horror. Not a reflective jacket or safety glasses in sight at those heights...

[Youforreal.]

Lotobear said:

It's usually the neoprene gaskets. Most of the time breaking the joint, removing and cleaning them of grit and then refitting with some lube is sufficient to fix it.

Nailed first reply.

[princeperch]

I fell off a ladder at 5 metres height trying to fiddle with my gutters in may and broke and arm and a kneecap.

Bank the ladder or even better have someone holding it.

[Skyedriver]

Douglas Quaid said:

Good luck, try not to fall and die.

Can I echo this ^^

[Llandudno]

You can bodge it from above with CT1 too.

[shtu]

Replacing the seals is likely the right answer.

However, if all else fails and a bodge is required, https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-roof-gutter...

[Byker28i]

Clean the joint really well, says the man who failed first time assuming a big blob of sealant would do...

[Baldchap]

shtu said:

Replacing the seals is likely the right answer.

However, if all else fails and a bodge is required, https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-roof-gutter...

This stuff is pretty horrible to work with but it absolutely does work if nothing else does.

[The Gauge]

OP, I can't tell from your photo but you might just need a new connector piece that joins two lengths of guttering. Your's looks like square guttering so the jointing piece should be this one that B&Q etc sell cheap as chips, or buy it and pull the ribber gasket strips out and use to replace your existing gaskets that may have failed..






You can see the rubber gasket strips better in this picture..





Just pull on the tabs on your existing joint bracket and lift the guttering out, the strips will then be accessible to replace. Assuming you are ok being up a ladder. Personally for a job like that I install wall anchor plates into the wall where Ilm putting the ladder to secure it to with straps, so the ladder wont move.

Edited by The Gauge on Wednesday 20th November 14:16

[van cleef]

Drip two the right hand retaining clip is broken or missing, these break easier the older the gutters are as they get brittle.
The first drip you need to get up there, could be as simple as the gutter working out of the running outlet with thermal movement and night just need working back in.