Water pouring down your walls when it rains hard is nearly always one of five things. Here's how to tell which, and what each fix involves.
A gutter that copes with drizzle but pours water down the brickwork in a downpour is telling you it can't handle the volume. In Kent, where a summer storm can drop a month of rain in an afternoon, that's the day it does the damage.
1. It's Blocked
The obvious one, and still the most common. Leaves, moss and grit reduce the channel to nothing. Moss shedding off the roof is a bigger culprit than most people expect — a mossy roof fills a gutter faster than an overhanging tree.
2. The Downpipe Is Blocked
A gutter can look perfectly clear while the downpipe below it is solid. The water has nowhere to go, so it backs up and over the front. This is why a proper gutter clear always includes running water down the downpipe — if a firm scoops the gutter and leaves without checking, you've had half a job.
3. It's Sagging Or Falls The Wrong Way
Gutters should fall gently toward the downpipe. If brackets have pulled, or the fascia behind them has rotted, water sits in the low spot instead of draining. You can usually see this from the ground — look for a dip in the run.
4. It's Too Small For The Roof
On older homes, the original gutter was sized for a smaller roof area. Add a rear extension, a dormer or a conservatory feeding into the same run and it simply can't cope. Replacement with a larger profile fixes it permanently.
5. The Joints Are Failing
uPVC seals perish and joints start to weep, especially after a cold winter. Small leaks at joints are cheap to fix. If the gutter itself is cracked or brittle, replacement is the sensible spend.
What To Do About It
If it's a blockage, a clearance will sort it — and ask for the downpipes to be tested while they're up there. If the gutter is sagging, cracked or undersized, cleaning won't help; the brackets, fascia or the gutter itself need attention. We'll tell you which one you're dealing with rather than taking a clearance fee for a gutter that needs replacing.
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Costs and timings in this article are guides for Medway and Kent properties. Every roof is different — a survey is the only way to get an accurate figure.