How To Fix Gaps Between Gutter And Fascia [Step By Step Guide]?

Is a leak coming from a gap between the gutter and the fascia, and you want to know how you can get rid of that gap? You’ve come to the right place, for we have researched this question and have the answer for you.

If the gap is small, apply some silicone caulk to seal the gap between the gutter and the fascia board. This will prevent water from leaking between the fascia and the gutters.

Let’s talk more about the gutter and the fascia of your house in the succeeding sections. Learn about the things that you can do to prevent water from leaking between your gutter and your fascia.

Read on!

What causes a leak between the gutter and fascia whenever it rains?

A gap between the gutter and the fascia points to a bad gutter installation or aging fasteners. Ideally, there should be no gap between the fascia and the gutter. Any gap between the two will cause wind-driven rain to get to the fascia and travel down your house.

The water can find its way into your soffit or down your walls, creating the perfect habitat for mold. Moreover, exposure to water can damage the paint or the finish of your house. To make it worse, water that drains close to the foundation will weaken the foundation or lead to shifting of the ground under the foundation.

Water that gets to your fascia can damage it, especially if your fascia is made of wood. Even if it is not made of wood, exposure to water can cause the paint to peel off.

What is the purpose of a fascia board?

Fascia boards run along the bottom of the roofline of your house. It is the terminating edge of the trusses and rafters of your roofing system. Fascia boards are parallel to the walls of your house.

Fascia boards of old houses were made of wood—hence the name. Development in construction materials made it possible to have fascia made from aluminum, PVC, plastic, or even vinyl. These materials require less maintenance than wooden fascia boards.

The fascia board seals your roof and prevents water and moisture from getting in from under your shingles. If the water coming from the roof finds its way under the shingles, it can cause mold to grow inside your soffit or attic area, depending on the design of your roof.

The fascia board is also responsible for holding the gutter system of your house.

What is the purpose of the gutter system?

Gutters help the fascia in keeping water away from your roof and foundation. The gutter is responsible for collecting water that runs down your roof. It will then direct the water to the downspouts.

The downspouts will take the water to proper drainage.

The gutter moves water away from the walls, the soffit, and the foundation to prevent these parts of the house from sustaining water damage. Even the fascia will not be able to protect the attic and the inside of the soffit area without the help of the gutter.

Types of Gutters

Are all gutters the same?

There are two types of gutters that you can install in your home. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Sectional Gutters

As the name suggests, this gutter system makes use of different parts or sections. Contractors install the necessary sections together and fasten them with spikes, ferrules, or hangers.

The advantage of this type is the ease of installation. Installing one is like putting together a gutter Lego. Simply connect one section to another until you complete the gutter installation around your roof.

Dividing the gutter system into multiple parts increases the likelihood of a successful installation while eliminating complexity and reducing the chances of failure. It is not without its disadvantages, however.

The many different parts of the gutter mean that there are also many different points of possible failure. A problem with one section can cause strain on another and lead to an eventual failure.

Seamless Gutters

Seamless gutters are custom gutters that are made specifically for your home. Whole sections of the gutter are molded based on the measurements of your roof. The continuous parts eliminate the possible failure where the sections meet because there are no sections.

Only professionals can install this type of gutter system. They need to make precise measurements of your roof so they can fabricate the right gutter for you.

Because of the complexity of the installation, not many gutter installers can do this level of gutter installation. You might find it hard to find a contractor who can install this type of gutter for your home.

How to fix gaps between the fascia and gutter?

Gaps between the fascia and the gutter could be the result of loose fasteners that have become less effective with age. Old gutters are held in place by long nails that go through the outside of the gutter into the fascia. New versions of this fastener replace the nail with a long screw whose thread is only at its tip.

However, there are newer fasteners that do a better job of keeping your gutter in place.

This nail usually penetrates the fascia board by an inch. However, nail pops can loosen the grip of the nail. A nail pop is a phenomenon where the wood will push the nail out because of the contraction of the wood.

Let’s look at different sizes of gaps in the sections below and how to fix them.

How to fix small gaps between the gutter and the fascia?

Here are the steps that you should follow to fix small gaps between the gutter and fascia.

Make sure your ladder is on a level and stable surface.
Check the gutter and fascia board for damage. The gap may be the result of a gutter fastener that has fallen off.
Replace any missing fasteners with a hidden gutter bracket.

Installing A Hidden Gutter Bracket

The side with the J-hook goes under the lip of the gutter that is on the outer side. The side with the bolt hooks against the inner edge of the gutter.
Once you have both sides of the bracket in place, fasten the bolt into the fascia.

- Always remember not to overtighten the bolts.
- When reinforcing the existing fasteners, install the gutter brackets between the existing fasteners.
- Do not remove the old fasteners that you are reinforcing. Removing them will leave holes in your gutter.

Quick Screw Gutter Hangers is available on Amazon through this link.

Checking The Drip Edge

Check and double-check that all the loose fasteners of the gutter have been reinforced and any missing fasteners have been replaced.
Check the drip edge for damage. If you see any rust or damage on the drip edge, remove that section.
Replace any drip edge section that you took off.
Make sure that the drip edge is slanting away from the edge of your shingles and into the gutter. Pull any part of the drip edge slightly away from the side of the fascia if you think that they are too close.

Sealing The Gap Between The Gutter And The Fascia

Use a moist piece of cloth to wipe the edge of the gutter on the side of the fascia.
Leave it to dry for a few minutes.
Apply a line of silicone caulk to seal the gap between the fascia and the gutter. This will prevent wind-driven rain from bypassing the drip edge and gutter and pushing rain through the gap.

Gorilla Waterproof Silicone Sealant is available on Amazon through this link.

How to fix a large gap between the gutter and the fascia?

Large gaps between the gutter and the fascia can be due to poor installation or design.

Old gutters have narrower channels. A roof with too much incline could cause rainwater to have too much acceleration going down the roof and overshoot the gutter. Old narrow gutters could be installed with an intentional gap from the fascia to prevent overshooting.

Another possible scenario is a roofing system with poorly installed shingles. If the shingles have too much overhang from the edge of the roof, a contractor installing the gutter might decide to place shims between the gutter and the fascia board to align the gutter with the edge of the shingles.

Shims between the fascia board and the gutter will create a large gap. Wind-driven rain can push water against that gap and cause leaks. The ideal solution is to correct the root cause of the problem.

Replace the old narrow gutters with modern wide gutters to eliminate the gap between the gutter and the fascia. Correct the installation of your shingles so that you can get rid of the shims between the fascia and the gutter.

However, if circumstances prevent you from changing the installation of your existing gutter, you can have custom flashing made to cover the gap between the gutter and the fascia. You can install the custom flashing from under the drip edge and then position it over the gutter's interior side to cover the gap and prevent wind-driven rain from getting through.

Conclusion

You can fix narrow gaps between the gutter and the fascia using silicone caulk. You can use custom flashing to fix larger gaps between the gutter and the fascia.

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