Something to seal gutter leaks from the underside?

[sandspider]

Hi all

I'm wondering if there's something available that will really seal leaks in gutters, but from the underside. Some sort of patch to stick over the leaking joins perhaps?

The gutters on our house are a bit of a bodge, joined with silicone rather than rubber seals, screw holes at joins, a shoddy job. But quotes to replace the worst bit start at £800 and aren't affordable. I've had the odd "roofer" out to patch them up, and all they've done is slopped silicone where they can reach, and put a lining of fibreglass in one area - that also leaks as they didnlt clear it out beforehand. It's made more difficult as the roof sheets reach almost to the edge of the gutter on corners, so getting into the gutter from above to do a proper job is hard. If I clean the silicon off the bottom of the gutter where it leaks at the joins is there anything I can stick on the bottom that will stop the leaks?

 

Thanks.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, is that the old type cast iron or plastic ?

[sandspider]

Good point - they're plastic. Profiled gutters, not standard half round.

[old man]

Be thankful you haven't got my conservatory leaking box gutter to try to fix. It's a b4s£***! 🥵

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, what about a plastic epoxy putty or glue although not an easy job from underneath, the gutter would need to be dry and given time for setting, or maybe some stick on repair tape, , look at butyl gutter repair tape , 

Edited August 2, 2023 by oldypigeonpopper

[martinj]

This is a tricky one, most adhesives don't stick well to plastic, silicon contamination adds to the problem You might be able to make patches using PVC weld adhesive. Conditions are harsh with expansion/contraction/water/sunshine/ice etc.

[humperdingle]

Get some ABS plastic (cut into tiny pieces - ABS 3d printing filament is ideal)

And some 100% acetone.

Fill a small glass jar with the ABS bits and just cover with acetone. 
 

Leave overnight with lid on until all the ABS has dissolved. Pour away any excess clear acetone and you’re left with a toothpaste-consistency molten plastic, which you can push into the cracks. It will harden in no time as the acetone quickly evaporates.

[millrace]

No! is the honest simple answer.....everything other than new will be a bodge!!

[marsh man]

27 minutes ago, millrace said:

No! is the honest simple answer.....everything other than new will be a bodge!!

Yes my thoughts as well , anything done from underneath have only got a very small lifespan and then you are back from where you have started , the op stated that various roofers had been round to patch it up and they don't do it for nothing so time you add up the cost it will soon be cheaper to have it renewed , labour wise it is not a very big job , although that depend on access to the old guttering , if done properly then the op haven't got to worry about it again for a while .

By the sound of it the op is talking about O Gee guttering , this now come in various colours so when finished there is no need to paint and is more or less maintenance free.

[yickdaz]

Ct1   sand the the two edges first with fine grit sandpaper before sticking  comes in all colours white,  grey, clear, black etc not cheap about £12 a tube but the best stuff I've ever used 

 

 

[discobob]

Find out what your profile is - and get the required connectors with the rubber gaskets in?? Hire a Tower to replace them - Circa £100

[TOPGUN749]

The plastic gutting parts are not expensive, 4 metre length about £15,brackets £1.30 each,joints a few pounds each,I replaced my rear section for under £30 last year.It’s labour and profit that costs so much with a company doing it.

[ph5172]

You could try some frame sealant

[oldypigeonpopper]

2 hours ago, humperdingle said:

Get some ABS plastic (cut into tiny pieces - ABS 3d printing filament is ideal)

And some 100% acetone.

Fill a small glass jar with the ABS bits and just cover with acetone. 
 

Leave overnight with lid on until all the ABS has dissolved. Pour away any excess clear acetone and you’re left with a toothpaste-consistency molten plastic, which you can push into the cracks. It will harden in no time as the acetone quickly evaporates.

Hello, sounds a good idea, have you fixed guttering like this ?

Hello, profiled I presume are not the standard gutter system ?

[Penelope]

1 hour ago, yickdaz said:

Ct1   sand the the two edges first with fine grit sandpaper before sticking  comes in all colours white,  grey, clear, black etc not cheap about £12 a tube but the best stuff I've ever used 

 

 

Bloody good gear that.

[AndyM]

I've used this before and it works well

http://www.sylglas.com/products/wptape.htm

Stickier than a sticky thing - I remember my old dad putting me on to this

 

[r1steele]

6 minutes ago, Penelope said:

Bloody good gear that.

This is stuff, works in wet conditions and still seals

[JKD]

Once a bodge, always a bodge I'm afraid !

Best to bite the bullet and replace the lot.

[smokingdragon]

29 minutes ago, AndyM said:

I've used this before and it works well

http://www.sylglas.com/products/wptape.htm

Stickier than a sticky thing - I remember my old dad putting me on to this

 

Is that the green sticky bandage stuff? Foul to get on your hands 🙂

[oldypigeonpopper]

4 minutes ago, smokingdragon said:

Is that the green sticky bandage stuff? Foul to get on your hands 🙂

Hello, I think you mean the green bandage that we used on galvanised water pipe, very different from the sylglass bandage

[smokingdragon]

Just watched the video - it was the stuff I've used before. I used to seal a mismatched waste pipe (Ikea to normal pipe) and it worked for years

[sandspider]

Thanks for the suggestions, gang. Ogee guttering sounds right, pic attached. Which also shows the problem. I don't think new seals will do it given the screw holes.

Will look at the various suggestions. I don't think I'm up to taking the whole lot off really, plus it's screwed directly to wood so I fear what I might find! Laying waterproof tape into the gutter might work if I can clean it out and dry it and get the tape in under the overhanging roof sheets...

 

[JKD]

34 minutes ago, sandspider said:

Thanks for the suggestions, gang. Ogee guttering sounds right, pic attached. Which also shows the problem. I don't think new seals will do it given the screw holes.

Will look at the various suggestions. I don't think I'm up to taking the whole lot off really, plus it's screwed directly to wood so I fear what I might find! Laying waterproof tape into the gutter might work if I can clean it out and dry it and get the tape in under the overhanging roof sheets...

 

Thats a little bit more fancy than just ogee ! Now we can see it, are those fixings part of the kit ? I'm positive they are, and can advise of a way forward which wouldn't cost a fortune and would work way better than adhesives/sealants.

I'll send you a PM later this evening 😉

[sandspider]

Thanks jkd, sounds good!

I think the fixings are part of the kit, they came with the house so I don't know for sure. But the screw covers match the gutter colour and the screw holes are in the same places in each section so I think they're fairly official.

[marsh man]

The guttering was more than likely made for ,or by the glazing company that installed the conservatory , t b h you will be repairing it for evermore , if it is plastic then it expand in the heat and subtract in the cold , it also look like the joint rubber is perished and is well past the sell by date , you have got access if the various repair guys have been up there to ( try ) and stop it leaking , the longer you leave it you will be creating other problems with damp , without seeing it , if you have got access to get a ladder up to all the old guttering then it shouldn't cost nowhere near £800 .

If I was asked to do the repair I would told the house owner it is only a temporary repair and will need replacing as soon as possible , this then cover me when it start to leak again , which it will at some stage .