Gutter Water Going Behind

Have rain water dripping out from between your facia and gutters.

Gutter water going behind.

When the roof shingles do not extend past the metal drip edge the water will suck back on the metal drip edge this is called capillary action and run behind your gutters. If the gutter is clogged some of that water will back up on the roof soaking it. Home centers sell a gutter apron in 10 ft. 2 install splash and mesh guards on your gutters.

Eventually water pools behind the dam and works its way back up under the shingles and under the soffit until it finds an opening through the roof. Gutters are supposed to direct water away from your roof and into the ground. Some of the water may leak behind the gutters down towards the soffit and the fascia. The other element is if the gutter is not installed behind the drip edge it creates an air gap between the top of the gutter and the bottom of the drip edge which allows a place for the water to go.

If water is dripping behind your gutter it s probably because it was installed without any flashing over the back of the gutter. If you have a steeply pitched roof the water may be traveling so fast it splashed over. Grab a ladder bucket heavy duty gloves and go the old fashioned route. Most premade drip edge flashin.

Being a manufacturer of roof edgings and an installer of gutters i know first hand it s not always possible to get the gutter behind the drip. For example most ranch style homes have a 3 12 or 4 12 pitch roof. The gutter apron will prevent the dripping. The solution begins with good flashing as this should stop leaks from rainfall and might stop the leaks from ice dams as well.

This can be frustrating and also creates a dangerous situation on porch steps during freez. Water stains dirt debris and dripping water behind a gutter are usually the result of poorly installed or missing drip edge. Once you ve cleaned out the mess always wash out the gutter and downspouts with a garden hose to flush out the remaining dirt.