Water Getting Behind Gutter

The reason water flows behind gutters is a combination of a few things.

Water getting behind gutter.

Many of the solid gutter covers are design to take advantage of this water characteristic. Unfortunately it doesn t always work that way. Drip strip is designed to fill the gap between the bottom of the drip edge and the top of the gutter to insure the water will flow into the gutter preventing any damage to your fascia or other parts of your home or landscaping. If you re not closely attuned to the behavior of your home s water drainage system you may not notice this occurrence.

The gutter apron will prevent the dripping. Incorrectly sized poorly adjusted or shoddily fastened gutters can lead to excess space between the gutter and roof which will lead to water falling in between. A new roof is a huge project and one that has to be carefully balanced with the rest of the fixtures in and around your home. 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.

This does not allow the water to be carried far enough out. When it rolls over the edge it follows the contour of the edging and makes its way behind the gutter. One main cause is simply not having enough overhang on the roof edging or the roof covering itself. Therefore when the water goes over the edge of your roof it will stay attracted to the surface of the drip edge and run behind the gutter.

And it doesn t stop there. Left long enough the water runoff will cause damage to the roof shingles as well as your home s facade. Capillary action is a water activity in which water adheres to a surface and follow the surface around. Some of the water may leak behind the gutters down towards the soffit and the fascia.

On some homes water tends to drip behind the gutters down the fascia and soffit and then either down the side of the house or straight to the ground.