Rain gutters separated from eaves? Two twisted ways to put them back together permanently

The problem

A recurring problem with spiked rain gutters is that they fall off and away from the boards to which they are nailed. This problem must be repaired fairly quickly so that the gutters carry rainwater away from the house or building before damage occurs from lack of drainage.

This problem most often occurs in seamless gutters that have been quickly nailed into the adjacent fascia boards and the ends of the underlying joists rather than being attached to them with wrap clamps or long screws. These so-called spike nails, which are also guided through cylindrical spacer tubes (called ferrules) to keep the gutter width uniform, give the gutter a clean, smooth appearance when installed. However, over time, this nail-to-wood accessory will loosen under various weather conditions (humidity, ice, snow) and the weight of rainwater. The gutter then sags or separates from the eaves. Numerous ways to fix this have been suggested, from filling in the tine holes with wood chips to using epoxy glue on them. However, two ways to fix this problem with long screws are listed below.

Fix 1: Replace the gutter nail with a gutter screw.

A simple, standard solution is to replace the spike nails with gutter screws, which can be purchased in packs of 10 at local hardware stores for about $ 10. These gutter screws are the same 7 “length as common spike nails. used in household gutters, but their threaded portion is slightly wider than the body of the bit. These screws have thin flat heads similar to those of point nails. However, they will not accept a typical screwdriver bit. Instead, they have recessed square sockets that need to be turned with a square screwdriver bit that comes with the package. These sockets are also left unpainted so that the screwdriver bit fits correctly into them. Therefore, for a smooth final appearance. , these plugs may need touch up paint when replacements are made.

Also, since the threaded portion of these gutter screws is only slightly thicker than the point nails, they will not give secure bites into the fascia boards if the original dowel holes are dry rotting or enlarged for any reason. . For that reason, the gutter screws may not hold the gutter in place for long. These holes can be examined before purchasing the gutter screws. If they look squishy or enlarged, the next gutter screw alternative solution may be preferred.

Fix 2: Replace the gutter nail with a sizable lag screw.

A second, and possibly better solution, is to replace the tines with 5/16 to 3/8 “lag screws that are the same length as the original tines. For residential gutters (4-5″ wide) that length is approximately 7 ” For large barns, warehouses, and certain commercial buildings that have larger gutters (6-7 “), that length will be close to the length of the original spikes used in that gutter, about 8” or so. These are relatively thick. y The heavy duty threaded lag screws will give secure nibbles into the faceplate holes even if they are a little worn. These lag screws will also fit quite well into the stock ferrule spacers and are easily screwed into place with regular wrenches or ratchets. all lengths are available at hardware stores.

Generally, the functionality of the larger (6-7 “) gutters is more important than their smooth final appearance. Therefore, the raised hex head shapes of installed unpainted lag screws are not a problem most of the time. can be touched up with matching paint if desired after gutter reinstallation.