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Gutters · Check the fascia first

Gutter pulling away from the fascia

Hangers back out of aging fascia, and a gutter full of water is heavy. Re-hanging is straightforward. Replacing rotted fascia first is often necessary, and that is the part worth paying for.

Quick answerA gutter pulls away when its fasteners lose their grip, almost always because the fascia board behind them has softened, or because the hangers were spaced too far apart for the weight of water, debris and ice. If the wood is sound, re-hanging with hidden hangers screwed into solid wood fixes it. If the wood is soft, the fascia has to be replaced first or the new hangers will pull out too.

A loose gutter is rarely just a gutter problem. Water that overshoots or leaks behind a sagging run soaks the fascia, the roof deck edge and the siding below. Catching it early is the difference between a few new hangers and a carpentry job.

1Why gutters pull away

  • Spikes and ferrules. Older gutters were hung with long nails driven through a sleeve. Every freeze, thaw and wind load works them loose a little more until they back out.
  • Soft fascia. Once water gets behind the gutter or the drip edge is missing, the fascia board rots and fasteners stop holding.
  • Too few hangers. A run filled with water, wet leaves or ice is far heavier than an empty one. Wide hanger spacing lets it bow between fasteners.
  • Ice and ladders. Ice dams and ladders leaned against the gutter bend hangers and pry the back of the gutter off the board.

2How to check what you’re dealing with

  1. Look along the run from the groundA dip between two points means loose or missing hangers. A gap behind the whole run often means the fascia itself has moved.
  2. Probe the fasciaFrom a safe ladder, press a screwdriver into the board near the loose section. If it sinks in easily or the wood is dark and crumbly, it’s rotted.
  3. Check the roof edgeLook for a drip edge that carries water into the gutter. Without one, water runs behind the gutter and down the fascia.
  4. Look belowStaining on the siding or soft soil right under the run tells you how long water has been going the wrong way.

3Fixing it

Do it yourself

  • Fascia is solid and the run is single-storey
  • Replace spikes with hidden hangers and screws into solid wood
  • Add hangers where the run sags between fasteners
  • Re-check the pitch toward the downspout as you go

Hire a pro

  • The fascia is soft or rotted anywhere along the run
  • The eave is second-storey or over a steep slope
  • The gutter is bent or kinked from ice
  • There is no drip edge, or water is reaching the roof deck

Use the hanger spacing the gutter manufacturer specifies. In snow country or under trees, closer spacing is cheap insurance. Make sure each screw lands in solid wood, not just in the face of a thin trim board.

Ladder safety

Never lean a ladder against the gutter itself, and don’t work at the roof edge alone. A ladder stabilizer that bears on the wall keeps weight off the gutter.

4What drives the cost

Re-hanging a sound gutter is a small job. The price climbs with the length of fascia that has to be replaced, the height of the eave, whether the gutter can be reused or needs replacing, and whether a drip edge has to be added. Get the fascia line item priced per foot so you can compare quotes.

Gutters cost

Fascia soft or the run is out of reach?

Talk to a gutter contractor who will check the wood behind the gutter before re-hanging it.

877-360-4657

5Questions

Can I just put the old spikes back in?

They’ll back out again. Hidden hangers fastened with screws into solid wood hold far better, and they’re what most installers use now.

Do I need to replace the whole gutter?

Not if it’s straight and not leaking. A sound gutter can usually be re-hung. Replace bent, kinked or rusted-through sections.

Is this covered by insurance?

Damage from a specific event, such as an ice storm or a fallen limb, may be. Gradual rot usually isn’t. See ice damage from a winter storm.

Written by Jaylan Jones. I Like To Exterior Services earns a referral fee when a call connects to a contractor. See our business-model disclosure.

877-360-4657