How to Fix Bent Gutters (3 Solutions)
Want to learn how to fix bent gutters? Gutters are an essential part of a home. They collect rain water from your roof and transport it away from the foundation. But if your gutters are damaged they won’t be able to function properly.
I ran into this problem with my own gutters and knew something needed to be done. The good news is, fixing bent gutters doesn’t require a high level of skill. And you can get the job done in about 1 hour of work.
How Gutters get Damaged
You might be wondering how gutters can even get damaged in the first place. After all, these water collection systems are located off the ground and are hard to reach. Let’s take a look at the three most popular causes of bent gutters.
Failed Brackets & Straps
Brackets and straps are two devices that help secure gutters to the home. The brackets run along the horizontal section of the gutters, where they are attached to the roof edge located near the shingles.
Straps on the other hand hold the downspout in place pointing to the ground. If either of these devices are missing, it can lead to uneven weight on one side. As a result, winds will rip the end not attached to the house and bend the gutters.
Heavy Ice Dams
If you live in a cold climate, ice dams can be the biggest reason for bent gutters. This is when ice builds up from melting snow on the slope of your roof and isn’t able to drain properly.
As the snow continues to melt in the day and freeze at night, these ice dams can grow bigger and bigger. It doesn’t matter how strong your aluminum gutters are – they won’t be able to handle heavy amounts of ice.
Falling Tree Limbs
Gutters can be very effective at draining rain water away from your house. But they don’t do well from falling tree limbs. If your house is close to a number of large trees, there’s a good chance you might have this problem.
Unfortunately, there’s no heavy duty gutter to stop this from happening. But you can trim trees on a regular basis so they won’t land on your house. Do this task once a year in order to prevent it from occurring in the future.
How to Fix Bent Gutters
There are a few different options when it comes to fixing bent gutters. The most important thing to remember is that gutters can be formed back to their original state. This can help you avoid spending hundreds of dollars on a new water collection system.
1. Use a Rubber Mallet
This is by far the easiest way to fix bent gutters, because you won’t have to remove them from your house. However, it works best on minor dents and you will have to try other methods for more serious damage.
Begin by assessing the dent. If the damage is located in a high area, you can use a ladder for easy access. You will need to hold a small block of wood in one hand and the rubber mallet in your other hand.
Place the wooden block on one side of the gutter and begin tapping around the dent with the mallet. This method can take practice, but once you understand how much force the gutter needs to change form, fixing it can be a breeze.
2. Pull Out the Dent
This next method requires a few more steps – but it can be very useful for removing stubborn dents. Begin by removing the damaged gutter and placing it on a table. Then drill a 1/8 inch hole in the damaged section.
Place a threaded nut inside the gutter and bring it up to the hole you just drilled. Attach a screw to this threaded nut from the outside. You can now take a pair of pliers and try pulling on this screw to fix the dent.
This part can be challenging, but the amount of force will be able to pull out the dent and make it look new again. You will need to repair the hold when you’re finished with a patch kit and gutter sealant.
3. Try a Bench Vise
Using a bench vise can be another effective way to repair dents. This stationary tool has two parallel clamps that can help hold objects in place. They are commonly used to hold materials securely in place in order to be cut.
Start by placing the gutter in your bench vise. You want to make sure the damaged side is facing up, so that the bend does not become more severe. Slowly bring in the clamps until the material begins to reshape.
It helps to constantly be turning the gutter if you want to work its way back to the original shape. As the bend improves, continue rotating the gutter so that you do not overcompensate in one area and make things worse.
Can You Repair a Bent Gutter?
You now have the knowledge needed to repair a bent gutter. Aluminum and metal gutters can be reshaped back to their original state. All you need is the right tools, enough time, and a little patience.
The most important thing to remember is being able to fix what caused the damage in the first place. Most bends can be traced back to falling tree limbs and ice dams.
That’s why it’s best to address these problems once you have repaired your gutters, so they don’t happen again. Cut old tree limbs once a year and fix any areas on your roof where water might build up.
How Do You Reshape Gutters?
Gutters can be made out of metal, aluminum, and other similar materials. If your gutters become damaged, just know that they can be forced back to their original form.
Reshaping gutters is easy when you have the right tools. A rubber mallet is the quickest way to repair small dents. But you can also use a bench vise for more extreme levels of damage.
If the above methods didn’t work, you will need to fix the gutters from the inside. This can be accomplished by drilling a small hole on the surface and pulling the dent out from the inside with a threaded bolt.
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