DIY guideRoof and gutters
Check the gutters and downspouts from the ground and send the water away
Watch the gutters in a rain, look for sags and leaking joints from the ground, and make every downspout empty well away from the wall.
- 15 to 45 min
- 7 steps
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In a steady rain, walk round and watch the gutters. Water spilling over the edge means a clog or a sag.
Look along each gutter for dips where water sits, and spots pulled away from the wall.
Look for drips at the corners and joints, and stains on the wall under them.
Make sure each downspout is fastened top to bottom, with its elbow on at the foot.
Fit an extension or a splash block so each one empties well away from the wall, onto ground that slopes away.
In the next rain, check the water runs off across the lawn, not back toward the house.
A gutter that spills over when it's clean, one pulling away, or any above one storey: ask Handyman for a gutter pro.
What you need
- A downspout extension or a splash block
- Binoculars, or a phone with a zoom
Call a pro if
- A clean gutter still spills over
- A gutter pulls away from the wall
- The gutters are above one storey
- Water still runs back toward the house
Handyman says: Pulling away? I'll find a gutter pro.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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