Gutters that sag, spill or pull away
Gutters and downspouts in Harrison, NJ
Gutters on Harrison houses sag under wet leaves, spill at the corners and pull away from the roof edge. Next step: call (862) 418-5296 and point out which side of the house the water misses.
Back away and get help if
- A gutter dangling by one end over a walkway or door: keep people from standing beneath it, and do not try to prop it up.
- A wire close to the gutter line: stay back, keep ladders ten feet from overhead wires, and dial 911 if a wire is down.
- Water coming through a ceiling light or running down inside a wall: leave that room, then dial 911 once you are on dry floor.
- Icy gutters, wet leaves and a ladder make a bad mix: do not climb. Work above the ground belongs to the roofer.
The gutter system, end to end
A gutter system has three parts: a trough along the roof edge, a downspout that drops the water, and a place where it lands. Where a roof meets a wall, a kick-out piece of flashing steers water from the roof edge into the gutter instead of down the siding. The Building America Solution Center explains the detail.
A downspout can end at a drain, the sewer or the ground. The ground is the choice Rutgers favors when the soil can take the water.
Around Harrison and next door
Where a downspout empties matters in a town on combined sewers. Harrison's 2020 master plan says most of the town drains that way. EPA's page on downspouts says some connect to the sanitary sewer or the storm drain, and cautions that disconnecting one may not suit every location.
Rutgers does the sum: about 500 gallons come down one downspout from an 800-square-foot roof when an inch of rain falls. Keep that quantity in mind the next time a gutter overflows.
Leaves in October, rain in December
Newark Airport's October normal is 3.79 inches of precipitation and December's is 4.14. In between, the leaves come down and settle in gutters, and wet leaves hold water.
A gutter that overflows in a December rain can have been filling since October. A look from the ground after the first big leaf drop catches it early.
What to look at with feet on the ground
Everything here can be done from the ground or through a window. A job that needs a ladder belongs to the roofer.
- In daylight, sight along the gutter line from across the street. A dip, a gap at a corner or a section leaning outward shows from the ground.
- During the next rain, watch from a window. Water spilling over the front edge instead of running to the downspout points to a clog or a pitch problem.
- At the base of each downspout, see where the water lands. Rutgers advises sending it to ground that can soak it in and not toward the foundation.
- Look for rust streaks, peeling paint behind the gutter or a stain on the siding below it. Each marks water that has been leaving the wrong way.
Gutters on the state's maintenance list
New Jersey's code names repair or replacement of gutters and leaders among its ordinary maintenance items, so a straight swap is not a state permit job. An attached house, or work that touches structure, can change the answer.
Each town's office answers for itself. Checking a contractor has the phone numbers.
Ready to describe the roof?
Ready for the call: the street address, where the damage shows and a guess at the roof's age. Dial (862) 418-5296. Renters: the dated photo goes to your landlord or property manager at the outset. Covered: Harrison, Kearny, East Newark and Newark.
Call (862) 418-5296