[kennykenny]

I recently moved into a 4 yr old home. At numerous gutter corners water drips down to the ground. I previously put some gutter seal, on the inside, where the angles of the gutter corners meet in hopes that it would solve the problem. Now after snowfall and melting the dripping persists at various places around the house. Can anyone provide me with some advice on something to try to fix these leaks? Is this a wait until it warms up kind of job to fix it? Thanks.

 

[Mark Harvey]

It sounds as though the "caulking" that was put into the corners didn't stick. The metal or vinyl must be very clean prior to applying the sealer. I's leave it until you can see exactly where the leaks are and re-do the sealing.

 

[Gymschu]

Probably best to wait till at least DRY weather as nothing will stick to the gutters at this point. This is a bit of a hack fix, so, don't rake me over the coals. I lay down some vinyl asphalt roofing patch (the black tar stuff) over the leaking joint. Then, I apply fiberglas mesh over the tar using a plastic putty knife to push the tape down into the tar. It's hard to make it a smooth, neat job, but, if you take your time it does work. I've had patches like this last for 5 or 6 years.

P.S. That looks like a rather odd way of doing a corner seam.

** Note: if you're getting that many leaks at your joints, it is probably time to change out the gutters preferably to a SEAMLESS system.

 

[de-nagorg]

Have you seen those TV ads for "FLEX SEAL"?

Might work, wait until warmer days to see exactly where the leak is, might just be poor flashing into the gutters.



ED

 

[SeniorSitizen]

The thermal expansion of aluminum being about twice the rate of cast iron, that's the killer of aluminum gutter joints. When viewing guttering that's been exposed to sub 0 temperatures to +110 we can see where the gutter metal has been torn at screw locations from expansion and contraction. Patching with sealers and caulks is a never ending process.

 

[PatChap]

P.S. That looks like a rather odd way of doing a corner seam.

** Note: if you're getting that many leaks at your joints, it is probably time to change out the gutters preferably to a SEAMLESS system.

Those are called strip miters, they work fine. As do box miters and hand cut miters.

There isn't a gutter system in the world that's seamless in the corners.
Please don't lay roof latch and mesh in your aluminum gutters, at only four years old there is no reason they need to be replaced.

Wait til it's dry, scrape the failed caulking out, clean them real well and apply some professional grade sealant.
Tool it flat and make sure your not applying so much that water can't pass it.