Why does water leak behind eavestroughs when it rains

Improperly installed drip edge

Probably the number one reason is your shingles don’t run past your drip edge.

Definition of drip edge:

drip–edge. Noun. (plural drip edges) (roofing) A metal flashing or other overhanging component with an outward projecting lower edge, intended to control the direction of dripping water and help protect underlying building components.

When your shingles don’t extend past the metal drip edge, the water will suck back on the drip edge and run down behind your gutters. This is called capillary action.

Definition of capillary action:

capillary action. Noun. Also called, capillary attraction. Physics. a manifestation of surface tension by which the portion of the surface of a liquid coming in contact with a solid is elevated or depressed, depending on the adhesive or cohesive properties of the liquid.

Why does this occur?

More than likely, the problem is from the metal drip edge installation. If a local, Winnipeg roofing company did the work, you’re going to want to have them take a look at it again. If they did install it wrong, you should ask them to fix it asap and for free.

How does this occur?

Essentially, what happens is that the metal drip edge is installed flush with the fascia instead of having a gap or overhang.

If this is the reason, you should probably have Denali Exteriors come out to check it and fix accordingly.

Drip edge not installed

Perhaps your Winnipeg roofing company didn’t install a drip edge on your roof the last time it was done back in the day. However, nowadays installing drip edge is recommended and in some cases necessary.

If you don’t have drip edge installed on your roof, you can hire Denali Exteriors, your Winnipeg roofers, to do it for you.

Improperly hanging gutters

Another reason you might get water leaking behind your gutters is that the gutters themselves are not installed properly or are not securely fastened to the fascia board. It’s possible that you have rotten fascia board, and as such the weight of the eavestroughs makes the fasteners hang less tight to the fascia.

Check to see that they are secured properly and that the fascia is not rotten.

If your fascia is rotten, it will need to be replaced. You might want to have a professional Winnipeg eavestrough company, such as Denali Exteriors, do this for you.

Clogged eavestroughs

If you haven’t had a look into your eavestroughs in awhile, now might be a good time. It’s possible that you have a major blockage in your gutters, and this might also be the cause of why you have water running down the side of your house.

You’ll need to safely get on your ladder and manually clean out the debris in your eavestroughs. After doing so, run a high-pressure water spray down the gutter to make sure there is no more blockage and also to clean out any remaining debris.

If you’re unable to clean your eavestroughs yourself, you might want to contact a Winnipeg roofing company, such as Denali Exteriors to do it for you.

Fixing water leaking behind eavestroughs

Again, hopefully you can see this problem before it becomes too problematic and ends up costing you a lot more than it should have or could have. There are a few ways of telling if you don’t see it directly, such as water stains on your exterior or soil indentations on the side of your house. You can also check to see if the ground beside your house is wet compared to the ground a few feet out.

To review, water could be going behind your eavestroughs because:

• Your gutters are clogged
• The fascia is rotten and the eavestroughs are not properly secured
• The drip edge was installed incorrectly
• You don’t have drip edge installed