Gutter problems

Overflowing in moderate rain almost always means a blockage or a bad pitch. Clean it, then watch it. If it still pools in one spot on a dry day, the run is not sloping to the downspout. Overflowing only in downpours is different — that is a capacity problem, and capacity is a sizing question, not a cleaning question.

Sagging or pulling away from the house usually means the hangers have loosened or the fascia board behind them has softened from long-term water exposure. Re-screwing into rotten wood is a temporary fix that will fail again. The wood has to be sound first.

Leaking at a joint is a sealant or seam failure and is cheap to fix on an otherwise good gutter. Repeated seam failures across a sectional system are the point at which replacement with a seamless run starts making sense.

Ice in the gutter is usually a roof and attic problem, not a gutter problem. Warm air escaping into the attic melts snow, which refreezes at the cold eave. Replacing the gutter does not fix that; insulation and ventilation work does. Be very skeptical of anyone selling gutters or guards as an ice dam cure.

How to choose

Watch it rain before you buy

The single most useful diagnostic is standing outside during a real storm and seeing exactly where water leaves the system.

Check the pitch with a hose

Run water into the far end of a clean gutter. It should move to the downspout without pooling.

Push on the fascia

Soft or spongy wood behind the gutter means carpentry before gutter work, no exceptions.

Count your downspouts

Chronic overflow at one corner often means too few downspouts, which is far cheaper to fix than a new system.

Look at the ground

Erosion trenches, a wet basement wall or a sunken spot next to the foundation tell you where the system is failing even when you cannot see the roofline.

Treat ice separately

If you get ice dams, get an attic insulation and ventilation assessment. That is the actual repair.