Why Is There Gap Between Drip Edge And Gutter? How to Fix
Keep in mind that you need to secure the metal flashing with screws. If you don’t fix this problem quickly, it can cause significant damage to your fascia paint and covering. So, here we are with this article showcasing some amazing facts you need to know regarding the drip edge and gutter gap.
Why Is There A Gap Between The Gutter And The Fascia?
A gap between the fascia and gutter indicates either poor gutter installation or deteriorated fasteners. Also, the gap can be developed if the gutter is pulled away from the fascia because of prolonged ice. This happens when there is ice damming on your gutter in the winter season. There should ideally be no space between the gutter and the fascia.
Your gutter may collapse under the ice dam’s weight, maybe striking you or a member of your family while crossing the driveway or sidewalk. They can break bones or do worse things quite easily as they are so heavy. Wind-driven rain can get to your house’s fascia and go down the house if there is a gap between the gutter and the fascia.
Water can get down your walls or into your soffit, producing the ideal environment for mold growth. In addition, water exposure might harm your home’s finish or paint. To make matters worse, water that drains nearby the foundation will weaken it or cause the ground beneath it to shift. If your fascia is built of wood, water damage to the fascia is very likely to occur.
If it is exposed to water, the paint may peel off even if it is not constructed of wood. So, you need to fix the gap between the gutter and the fascia quickly to prevent severe damage to your property and injury to yourself or your loved ones. Check the below video to know more about the reasons behind the gap between the gutter and the fascia.
What Is The Ideal Gap Between The Drip Edge And The Gutter?
There should be no gap between the drip edge and the gutter. To stop water from entering behind the gutter, its back should lie behind the drip edge. A roof drip edge should be installed on top of your roof’s outer cover, directly between the fascia board and the sheathing, forming a gap between the fascia board and the drip edge.
The drainage thereby increases water flow and guards the roof against potential water damage. Sometimes, the drip edge might be installed along with a furring strip to protect both the fascia board and the drip edge. If a drip edge is not there, the shingles’ edge should extend about an inch above the gutter’s backside. It will help prevent water from dripping behind the gutter and rotting the fascia board.
How To Fix The Gap Between The Drip Edge And The Gutter?
If there is a gap between the drip edge and the gutter, then water can flow behind the drip edge, which can cause damage to your house and roof system. By placing a drip edge beneath the first row of your home’s roof shingles, you can fix the problem. Also, verify whether the kick-out part of the drip edge crosses the gutter’s back edge.
If the kick-out portion doesn’t reach quite enough over the gutter or if the gutter is installed quite below the drip edge, then you need to apply another solution. The solution is slipping a rigid plastic flashing or a strip of metal beneath the drip edge’s vertical fascia leg and allowing the strip’s bottom edge to overlap the gutter’s back edge.
You might need to know all about flashing between concrete and wood and some other considering facts.
The gutter’s shape and the hangers’ type determine how well this method will work. If the hangers are in the way, you need to insert the strips between the hangers. If the hangers are blocking the way, then the strips need to be inserted between the hangers.
An expert user has given a solution for fixing on Reddit,
“K style gutters are usually installed with the back edge underneath the drip edge, so there is no gap, but you can’t do that with your style gutter and current drip edge. Solutions are either to replace the current drip edge with a style that will extend over the gutters, or install new flashing that slides under the current drip edge and extends down into the gutter.”
Another user said regarding this on Do It Yourself,
“If this was mine I would have removed the gutters, wrapped the fascia with PVC coil stock and reinstalled the gutters up under the drip cap, or better yet had new seamless gutters installed with hidden gutter hangers.”
How Do You Stop A Leak Between The Drip Edge And The Gutter?
If there is water leaking between the drip edge and the gutter, it might be because your roof’s drip edge is lying quite flat. In order to maintain the water’s natural flow from your roof to your gutter, it is supposed to tilt slightly downward. Also, this problem can happen if your drip edge or gutter is improperly installed.
Rainwater leaking beneath the rain gutter and dirty stains and streaks running over the gutter board are the first signs that the drip edge was improperly installed. Debris such as leaves and twigs may also stick out underneath the gutter if it is buckled or loose as a result of the wrong installation.
Rainwater that is splashed up from your gutter will seep in through the space between the gutter’s rear flange and the drip edge flashing and flow down the gutter board. In addition to leaving unsightly stains on the gutter board, water that leaks behind your gutter can cause rotting wood, peeling paint, and rusted fasteners and nails. So, you need to solve this problem quickly and you can do that in two ways.
The first one is to have your roofer take off the drip edge and install it over your gutter. The second one involves a gutter specialist removing and reinstalling your rain gutter behind your roof’s drip edge flashing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should the drip edge extend into the gutter?
No, the drip edge should not extend into the gutter. It will hinder the flow of water from the roof into the gutter. The gutter’s back edge should sit under the drip edge flashing’s lip to stop water from entering behind the gutter. If a gutter is not installed properly, it will not effectively collect rainwater run-off from the roof and could damage your house.
Should the drip edge overlap the gutter?
Yes, it should. In order to prevent water from getting between the fascia and the gutter, the drip edge’s face needs to be overlapping the gutter. Its function is to move away the water from your fascia board and into your gutter by filtering the water from the roof. This saves the fascia board from rotting, which supports your gutters and keeps them from collapsing onto your roof.
Do you use drip edge with gutters?
Yes, we use a drip edge with gutters and it is recommended to do so. Water could get under the gutter and start falling down your house if drip edge flashing is not installed on your roof. Moisture would be able to accumulate on the fascia board, causing it to decay. If the fascia board begins to deteriorate, then you will begin to experience issues with gutter performance.
Conclusion
Hopefully, after reading this article, now you can easily fix the gap between drip edge and gutter. Furthermore, you may now easily stop a leak between the gutter and the drip edge. In addition, you may have now known the reasons behind the gap between the fascia and the gutter.
Make sure don’t waste your time by attempting to fix it with caulking. If you fix the gap with caulking, then you will just need to do it from scratch again in a couple of years. Just use the metal flashing, and you are done with the repair.
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