Whenever you can see your gutter spikes hanging out of their holes, that means you have loose gutter spikes.
Loose gutter spikes are the most common issue homeowners have with their gutters. They are also the easiest thing to fix. Just because your gutters have loose gutter spikes does not mean you need to replace your gutters. In fact, if you have a ladder and a hammer you can take care of this repair yourself and save some money.
Determine if your home has gutter spikes
Gutter spikes are the old way of mounting gutters. They are basically a big nail that drives through the gutter and into the fascia board. Not all homes will have this style, so before you get too far into this article, you’ll want to determine if your home has gutter spikes.
Take a walk around the perimeter of your home and observe your gutter system. If you have gutter spikes, you’ll see the heads of the nails every 18-24 inches. The heads of the nail will be visible on the gutter face.
Examine your gutter system for loose gutter spikes
Now that you’ve determined that your home uses gutter spikes to mount the gutters, it is time to check your home for loose spikes. This is very easy to do, as you can see loose spikes sticking out from the ground.
Take a walk around the perimeter of your home on any given day to observe the condition of the gutter spikes. If they are loose, you will see the head of the spike sticking out. Moreover, if they are very loose it will appear as if the entire spike (or screw) is hanging out of the gutter. When this is happening, the spike is not biting into any wood. Therefore, if it is not biting into the wood, nothing is holding the gutter up in this section.
Why are my gutter spikes loose?
Gutter spikes come loose over time. They are essentially a big nail that gets re-nailed into the same hole over and over again. However, if you have a large amount of spikes that keep coming loose in one section, than that section may have some other problems.
FASCIA BOARD DAMAGE
Gutter spikes drive through the gutter and into the fascia board that is behind the gutter. If you have water getting behind the gutter in any way, that will start to soften and eventually rot the wood. Once this happens, the wood will no longer be able to support the gutter and the gutter will either start to pull loose, or sag in that area. Making sure that your gutters don’t get clogged will help prevent water from getting behind the gutter.
DEBRIS/CLOGS
Neglecting your gutters can lead to all types of damages. Debris accumulation is the most common problem that occurs from not having your gutters regularly maintenance. Excess debris leads to gutter clogs. Gutter clogs lead to water not being able to drain properly. When the water can’t drain properly, it gathers in and fills up the gutters. This extra weight pulls the gutters loose. Having your gutters cleaned regularly will prevent clogs which will help keep your gutters from coming loose.
SHINGLE GRIT
Did you recently have your roof replaced in the past 2 years? Are your gutter spikes also starting to come loose around the home in some areas? Well if you answered yes to both questions, we can tell you that your gutters are probably loose because you have shingle grit collecting in them. This happens when your gutters aren’t pitched correctly and the water isn’t able to drain properly.
If your gutter spikes keep pulling loose and silt, grit, or other small particles are building up in there, that is a clear indication that the gutter pitch is off.
How to fix loose gutter spikes
Fixing loose gutter spikes is the easiest gutter repair there is. All you need to perform this is a ladder, and a rubber mallet.
We usually start on one part of the home, and work our way around the entire home. That way you don’t skip over or miss any sections.
SET UP YOUR LADDER
Set up your ladder so that you can safely reach the gutter spike. If two or more gutter spikes are loose in one one spot, you can aim the ladder so that you can reach all of them from the ladder. The object here is to be able to reach as many as possible from each ladder climb. That ladder starts to get heavy the more times you move it around.
NAIL THE SPIKE IN
Now that you’ve climbed the ladder and you are level with the roof line, it is time to nail those loose gutter spikes back into their holes. Most of the time the pointed end of the spike is still positioned into the hole and all you have to do is gently nail it back into place. If the end is not positioned correctly, simply grab the nail and guide the pointed end so that it lines up with the hole. Once the nail is in line with the hole, gently nail it back into place.
Be careful not to dent the gutter when doing this. That is why we suggest a rubber mallet. Normal metal hammers will scuff up the paint on the gutter spike, and damage the gutter if you’re not careful.
CONCLUSION
That’s it, it really is that easy. As always with all gutter repairs, use extreme caution when climbing ladders. If you are not comfortable on a ladder, than you shouldn’t be climbing up there to try and do any repairs.
Fix It!® can take Loose Gutter Repair off your to-do list. One call really does take care of some on your to-do list. Make sure to stay on top of all your household repairs, improvements and maintenance needs and request service now online.