This post will show you how to repair a dented gutter.
Rain gutters are generally made of aluminum. Therefore, a blow will easily dent a gutter.
In this case, a vehicle struck and dented the gutter. When a section of the gutter doesn´t have an adequate area, water will spill over as it passes through that section.
If you want to learn how to repair a dented rain gutter, this step-by-step guide will show you how quickly and easily.
TOOLS FOR THIS TASK
- Small sledgehammer.
- Tape measure.
- Wood lumbers.
- Hand saw.
- Nails.
- Nail hammer.
- Boom lift.
- Screws.
- Impact driver.
You can use a ladder if you don´t have a boom lift.
TO REPAIR THE GUTTER DO THE FOLLOWING
STEP 1: SUPPORT THE BASE OF THE GUTTER
The first thing to do is to create a support with lumber strips.
The dimensions vary depending on each case, but the model is the same.
A piece will be the column, and two others joined together in an L shape to support the gutter´s base.
While removing the dent, the support will protect the gutter base from deforming.
Our Jack used a tape measure from the floor to the base of the rain gutter. He needs a 94-inch (2.38 m) long support.
To make the wooden support, our Jack used lumbers held together by nails. For this, you will need the hammer, saw, and nails we included in the list of tools.
Place the support under the gutter, right where the dent is. Present it with a slight tilt, rest the L-piece against the base of the gutter, and then, with your foot, push the support base until it is vertical and firm (watch our video for clarity).
To prevent the support from sliding sideways while hammering the rain gutter, our Jack screwed the support to the base of the gutter at 2 points.
He used an impact driver (Milwaukee M18 fuel 1/4″) and two screws 3 or 4″ long.
As you can see at 0:20 in our video
STEP 2: TAKE OUT THE DENT
After supporting the bottom of the gutter, we´ll use a small sledgehammer and a piece of wood to hammer the gutter wall and try to restore its original shape.
To reach the rain gutter, we can use a ladder. In this case, we had a boom lift available.
Rain gutters are usually aluminum, so they are light and malleable. Thus, we can restore their shape in case of deformations.
Our Jack starts by using a piece of wood to push the dent out.
Next, he uses the hammer and wood to tap out the dent.
The wood, in this case, serves as an extension for the hammer so that we can reach the dent. With the hammer alone, it wouldn´t be easy to do the job.
Check your work frequently to make sure it´s looking good.
If you dent the gutter from the inside out, tap lightly on those spots with the sledgehammer.
Lower the boom lift and remove the wood support when satisfied with the work.
In this case, we aren’t looking for an aesthetic result but a functional one, so it doesn’t matter if the gutter is a little dented. We need the section to have the right area to channel the rainwater.
If you want a result that is not only functional but also visual, you can keep hammering until you achieve something more aesthetic.
As you can see at 0:20 in our video
STEP 3: REMOVE THE SUPPORT
Our Jack used his foot to move the base of the support, and then, with the impact driver, he removed the two screws holding the support to the bottom of the gutter.
As you can see at 0:45 in our video
FINAL THOUGHTS
As you can see, this is a pretty straightforward job since we´re aiming at a functional-oriented result.
Once the gutter section has enough area to allow the water to pass through, you can consider the job finished.
If you liked this step-by-step guide, visit us at www.diyjacks.com, where you will find other guides available to solve by yourself those tasks that suddenly arise at home.