You are more likely to spring a gutter leak after a period of hot weather!

Expansion and contraction can cause your gutter to move up to 50mm!

Gutters get clogged more easily in hot weather!

Did you know that hot weather can cause some big problems for you and your home guttering system?

Don’t be surprised if your gutter starts to leak after a spell of hot weather.


Gutter Problems in Hot Weather

Gutter problems in hot weather is common and include leaks and damage. This could be a result of a poor gutter installation or it could be caused by lack of routine gutter maintenance.

The most common gutter problems caused in hot weather are, leaking joints, twisting gutters, cracked gutters, snapped fascia brackets / joint clips, and gutter blockages. If left unsolved, these gutter problems will progress and go on to cause more extensive damage to your property.

Common gutter problems we find from poor installations are usually from;

  • Insecure gutter joints, which have not been secured appropriately to the fascia board and instead left to “float”.
  • Gutter sections cut too short and do not allow enough expansion or contraction.
  • A poor quality gutter system has been installed.
  • The incorrect seals are used in the gutter joints or have been poorly placed.

Good gutter installations would require a good quality gutter, joint and seal to be used, gutter joints should be secured properly to the fascia board, and the gutter cut to the exact length required, allowing for expansion.

Common gutter problems we find from lack of routine gutter maintenance include;

  • Leaking joints.
  • Blockages in gutters, outlets and downpipes.
  • Vegetation growing into guttering joints and under roofing tiles.
  • Clogged gutters will prevent gutter joints from allowing gutters to expand and contract properly.

Gutters that are maintained regularly will prevent these problems and will prolong the life of your gutters, soffits and fascias. Furthermore, it will ultimately protect your home from water related damage.

Gutter Joint Expansion Gap

Gutter Joint Expansion Gap

Many gutters are now made from UPVC plastic which will contract when its cold and expand when it gets warm. When the gutter warms up, the gutter can expand and when the gutter cooler down it will contract.

The gutter joints (which connect two sections of gutter together), are designed to incorporate an expansion gap to allow gutter movement and to prevent the gutter from twisting or cracking. The joint is fitted with rubber gaskets which allow the gutter to move freely in and out of the gutter joint.

The gutter will continue to react to temperature changes throughout the day. Dark coloured guttering will absorb more heat causing increased expansion contraction, whereas white guttering will.

How to prevent gutter problems in hot weather

Most gutter problems can be prevented.

The best way to prevent gutter problems in hot weather is to clean and check your guttering system on a routine basis. We recommend that you plan your gutter maintenance in spring and autumn. By cleaning your gutters out in spring, you will likely remove the debris and seedling that are waiting to sprout and cause chaos in the warmer months. Checking the gutter joints, fascia brackets and fascia board at the same time will help you identify problems before they happen.

A good guttering company will have experience and know what the common problems are and what to check for. We recommend that you ask them for help.

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